What I've Done
by Draconic Caduceus
Summary: Sequel to 'Friends'. Katie's back safe and sound, but she gets broadsided once more when she realizes that she still has a lot to deal with. Her family she can deal with, but can she deal with problems with her cousin who is a ... Decepticon?
1. Finches

**Note: I don't own Transformers; only Katie, Snowy, the finches, Armonie, and Jordan. :)**

**Sequel to "Friends"**

-

"Who in the blue hell are _you_?" all chatter in the lounge quieted, and everyone turned to look at the grumpy human sipping her coffee and the large gray tabby cat sitting next to her, cleaning his whiskers with a white-capped paw.

Surprised, the Autobot she was addressing turned around and looked down at her. "Oh. You must be Katie. Maggie and Bluestreak have told me a lot about you, and Ratchet suggested that I talk with you about what happened in the Decepticon base."

He fell silent as blue-hazel eyes narrowed over the white coffee cup held to her lips. "I asked you 'who in the blue hell are you', not 'how much about me do you know'." She told him quietly and slowly as if he was dim-witted.

"Ah, the beautiful sound of happy women in the morning." Sam said dryly from his table nearby.

Immediately, Katie's eyes were fixed on him in a heated glare. "Shut up or I'll sic Snowy on you." she growled.

"Shutting up now." Sam said meekly, ducking his head and tearing into his breakfast with forced gusto.

"I told ya she's bitchy in the mornin' when she doesn't get 'nough sleep." Jazz said jauntily, causing his charge to glare darkly at him. "Now, now, Katie Kat, don't be angry with _me_. Take your anger out on ol' Smokey and not your guardian."

Muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "good idea", Katie looked up at the newcomer critically. She finished her coffee and walked over to the human's table, ignoring that Sam scooted over as far as he could from her as Snowy hopped up to perch on her shoulders and glare at him. Grumbling, she poured herself another cup of coffee and turned to look at the new Autobot once more, blue-hazel eyes narrowed.

"We tried to feed them for you." Mikaela said pleasantly from the table, drawing Katie's eye as her thirteen zebra finches zoomed and swirled around her. "But they won't eat."

"Mrrt." Snowy stuck a paw in Katie's ear, causing her to sigh.

"It's Treat Day, and they all know it." she grumbled good naturedly, stroking Snowy's head fondly.

"Treat Day?" Sam echoed, surprised.

"I give them nothing but treats for one day each year." Katie told him flatly, glaring at him.

"They sound spoiled, then." Was the reply.

Immediately, Snowy's ears were flattened and his green eyes were sharp. "Easy, boy." Katie murmured, glaring at Sam who hid from her glare that was so much more volatile than usual.

"I apologize, but I don't see the sense in it." Prowl admitted.

"I agree completely, Prowl." Sam said, looking up at the police car. "Why?"

This time, Snowy leaned down, placing a paw on Katie's collarbone to look sidelong at her while his hind paws remained resting on her shoulder. Katie nodded. "If you want to. I'll save your fish for when you get back."

Mikaela poked Sam's arm. "I'd run if I were you."

"MRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Snowy leapt, soaring through the air to land on the table and bound after Sam who fled.

Ignoring the strange looks the new Autobot gave her, she reached into the small bag at her waist and pulled out a handful of dried fruit. The finch she had come to call Primo flew to land on her finger, cheeping imperiously at her while fluttering his tail feathers and wings.

Katie smiled for the first time that morning, and tapped him gently on his beak with a forefinger. "Just because you've taken a liking to Prime doesn't mean you're in charge of the flock, buddy." The finch Armonie nicknamed Leone and his little protégée Mimic fluttered and landed next to Primo. Leone chirped and glared at Primo who fluttered his wings and dipped his head. Laughing, Katie gave them each a dried cranberry which they ate happily.

The other finches swirled around her and with a chortle, she tossed a few cranberries and raisins into the air, watching as her finches skillfully caught them before they hit the ground. Kaboom and Hatchet landed on her wrist, tilting their tiny heads to peer up at them with beady eyes. Carefully she handed Kaboom a piece while she and Hatchet watched with critical eyes. Only when the danger prone finch ate the dried bit of fruit without choking did Katie give Hatchet his piece.

"Yours?" Katie jumped, scattering bits of fruit and finches. Hatchet, irritable being that he was, immediately flew up to the newcomer, shrieking his indignation and hitting him soundly with his little wings.

"To some extent." she growled. "I bought them but they own themselves."

The Autobot blinked down at her, batting futilely at Hatchet as curious to why her friend was higher up and shrieking angrily, Kaboom flitted up, flying around the newcomer's head.

"He sounds _so _much like you." Jazz drawled and Ratchet scowled at him but nevertheless held out his finger for the little bird to perch on. Chirping and following her friend, Kaboom landed beside Hatchet and peered up into Ratchet's optics.

The new Autobot watched as Katie returned to feeding the finches who dipped and landed briefly to receive their treat before taking off in time for another finch to take its place. "What are their names?" he asked at last after watching the cycle for a minute or so.

"This is Primo." Katie said, flicking her finger and sending the blue-tinged bird flitting off with his treat. "Hatchet and Kaboom are on Ratchet's finger; Hatchet's the one who was flying at your face. It would be too confusing for me to tell the difference right now."

"Speaking of names, you have yet to tell her yours." Jazz drawled, opening a claw and allowing the birds to perch and eat there as Katie spread a handful of dried goodies there.

The newcomer blinked. "Oh. My apologies. My name's Smokescreen."

Katie snorted. "Nice." She muttered as two of the birds in front of her fought over a cherry before flitting off and settling down near Mikaela. Snowy slunk smugly into the room and twining around her legs, mewled piteously.

Laughing, Katie picked the tabby up and kissed his nose gently. "Come on, Snowy. I have your fish here."

Putting him down, she walked to the human table and sat, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small packet of fish which she fed to Snowy. Kaboom, curious as she was apt to be, flittered over and landed on her knee, tilting her little head this way and that to look at the fish. She even had the audacity to land on Snowy's head between his ears and watch him eat the little tidbits.

Hatchet appeared in the nick of time as usual, scolding and beating Kaboom soundly with his wings as Snowy began to look upwards at the bird on his head with a half-irritated look. Cheeping under the barrage of wingbeats her friend gave her, Kaboom flew to Wheeljack where she hid from Hatchet.

When Snowy was finished with his meal, he burped and jumping on the table, curled up and proceeded to wash his creamy belly. That accomplished, he drifted off to sleep with eleven of the thirteen flock ranged around him, preening and exchanging gossip.

"Are you a psychiatrist or something?" Katie asked, startling Smokescreen.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." He replied as Katie sipped her coffee. "Are you willing to talk?"

Katie gave him a thoughtful glare, sipping her coffee before nodding slowly. "I'll consider it. But first I want to talk with Jazz alone. It's urgent."

Seeing the abrupt change in mood and realizing that whatever she wanted to talk to him about was what caused her lack of sleep, Jazz nodded and followed her out.

* * *

**Who can guess which finch is whose:)**

**Kaboom: Wheeljack  
Hatchet: Ratchet  
Primo: Optimus  
Leone (lay-own) : Armonie  
Mimic: unsure**

**Yes, Katie's a bit off, but as Jazz mentioned somewhere in 'Friends', she's not happy when she doesn't get enough sleep. ;)**


	2. Of Pranks and Family Reunions

**Birdies mentioned tonight :)**

**Kaboom : Wheeljack (No, Kaboom isn't Ironhide's. _Bazooka_ is Ironhide's.. ;) )**

**Hatchet : Ratchet **

**Mira : Sunstreaker (I was in a book store today and there's a book called 'Mira, Mirror' or something like that. I thought it was a pretty name :) )**

**Aka : Sideswipe (Japanese word for "red") **

* * *

"A family reunion?" Jazz echoed, blinking in surprise.

"If you knew my family you'd be worried too." Katie replied sourly, making a face.

"Are they anything like Aldrin and Marie?" Jazz asked worriedly and Katie snorted.

"Nah, they were the black sheep, I guess you could say. The rest of my family's crazy, but not in the literal sense." Was her dry reply.

"So… it's like having a family of Autobots, then?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "Worse, though I can't imagine how anything can be worse than that!"

"Ooh, Katie Kat, that hurts. Right in mah spark." Jazz mimed hurt and with a barely-suppressed grin, his charge threw her pillow at him.

Katie yawned. "I stayed up late last night typing e-mails to my family." she explained. "Had to get them out before today so I could get prepared (both mentally and physically) for the stupid thing."

"Where is it? I'll drop you off." Jazz offered, and Katie smirked.

"Oh no you won't. You aren't goin' anywhere. I e-mailed my family and they agreed to let you, Snowy, Jordan, Armonie, Roddy, and Prowl tag along." She smiled slightly at the almost-horrified look on his face. "They _insist_ that you come, in fact."

"I suppose there's no way I can convince you to drop it, right?" smiling, Katie shook her head and Jazz sighed. "I thought so."

Katie yawned and stood, stretching. "Well, I'm gonna tell the others then go and take a nap." With a jaunty wave at her guardian, she left her quarters.

-

"Please?"

"No."

"…Please?"

"No!"

"…Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?" Jordan pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. Armonie, who sat on the couch nearby, was howling with laughter at the pleading look on Katie's face and the resigned look on Jordan's.

"Fine." The police officer ground out.

Hope flitted across Katie' face. "Really?"

"No."

"Aww, Jordie, you're mean." Katie whined shamelessly to which Armonie was sent into another bout of laughter.

Jordan glared at Katie whose eyes were as wide and innocent as she could make them. "I _told_ you not to call me that."

"But Jordie –"

"Katie, you're walking a very fine line, there."

"Good thing I have perfect balance." There was a resounding _thud_ as Jordan let her head drop to the table at Katie's innocent reply.

"Aww, just say yes, Jordan." Armonie called over, earning a black look from the female officer.

"When is it?"

Katie smiled. "In two days and it'll last for most of the day."

Grumbling, Jordan pulled out the small pocket calendar in her pocket and checked the dates, praying to whatever deity was listening that it wasn't the day she and Prowl were off.

Luck just wasn't with her today, was it?

Jordan glared up at Katie who smiled innocently, then at Armonie who was still laughing in her little corner, tears of mirth sliding down her face. "Prowl still has to agree to it." she pointed out.

Katie merely smiled as Prowl, Hot Rod, and Jazz walked in, talking amongst themselves in quiet tones. They blinked when they found their charges looking up at them, Armonie laughing, Katie innocent, and Jordan half-pleading half-irritated.

"Did you hear about Katie's family reunion?" Prowl asked his partner who scowled at Katie but nodded.

"Katie just asked me if we could come. It's on our day off and I told her you'd have to agree to it too." Again came the pleading look that unfortunately for her, Prowl didn't notice.

"I admit I've become curious about family reunions." Prowl admitted as Jordan's jaw dropped incredulously. "Especially since you ignore or avoid yours. I think it'll be a learning experience for both of us."

Armonie howled at the incredulous I-can't-believe-you!-you-betrayed-me look on Jordan's face. Hot Rod and Jazz chuckled as Prowl blinked. "What did I say?" he asked, curious.

Katie smiled. "Nothing, Prowl, nothing. I'll tell my family you're all coming, then." Before any of them could react to that (ie stop her from leaving, shouting at her to stop, blocking the door, etc.), she was gone, out the door and down the hall to her room.

Jazz sighed dramatically. "I suppose if I'm goin' down, I'll take y'all down with me." Grumpy, Jordan grabbed the first thing she could and threw it at Jazz, hitting him right in the visor. The overripe tomato hit it with a dull _splat_, spraying seeds all over the silver mech's face. "Thanks. I needed that. Really, I did." He grumbled dryly, carefully wiping away the hideously-smelling seeds and goo, walking out after Katie muttering something about getting a carwash.

-

The finch that perched on his arm chirped, happily eating the dried cranberry Ratchet gave him. Kaboom, seeing the treat being given to her friend flitted over and received one as well, though noticeably smaller than Hatchet's; she had a tendency to get into all sorts of trouble with the simplest of things.

"No, I don't want to go." Jordan grumbled, pacing back and forth. Wheeljack and Ratchet exchanged a glance.

"Then why don't you tell her?" Wheeljack asked practically.

"I did, but Prowl all but threatened to drag me there anyway." Jordan grumbled as one of the other finches (who she suspected was bossy Primo) bullied Kaboom. Hatchet immediately took to the air, shrieking and beating Primo and Kaboom soundly with his wings.

"If only I could do that to Prime." Ratchet murmured, watching the little bird shriek and flit around at the two others. Kaboom went and hid with Wheeljack while Primo continued to fly around in panic.

Wheeljack chuckled. "You should see him with Mira and Aka. Never seen anything that funny – and fitting – in my entire life."

"Mira and Aka." Blue optics narrowed thoughtfully as Jordan tried to relax, sitting at the edge of the berth. "Sideswipe and Sunstreaker? That would be interesting indeed. Where are they, anyway?"

"Mira and Aka are with them. However, where _they_ are, I'm not sure." Was the reply.

Jordan groaned. "If they pull a prank on Prowl again I'll _kill_ them. The _last_ time they did, they painted Prowl pink. Pink! Bright, hot pink with little red hearts. Imagine explaining why my 'car' was _hot pink and red_ to my superiors."

"We've all been through that, Jordan." Wheeljack said with a slight smile in his voice. "The twins prank us so many times we expect it, though we haven't developed an early warning system for it yet. I can just imagine how long it took you to get that paint off him."

Jordan rolled her eyes. "I spent _hours _cleaning the paint off him. Not something I want to repeat."

"I'm sure he liked that." Ratchet murmured, casting a sidelong glance at her.

"Yes. He enjoyed it. No, not like that. He's my _partner_." Jordan glared at the medic who chuckled, then at the engineer who held up his hands in surrender. "In any case, we have to head out soon," she added, looking down at her watch. "We have patrol soon." She pulled out her radio and hailed Prowl. "What's your status?" she asked when he answered.

There was silence for a moment. "In my office, in need of assistance."

Jordan let her head fall into her hand. "Oh God. Don't tell me. You've found Aka and Mira?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Was the dry reply.

"Damaged?"

"No, no damage. I just need to be cut down. I do not think we'll be late for patrol, or that you will have to explain anything unusual to our superiors." Prowl sounded both angry and apologetic. Angry at the twins, and apologetic that he required assistance and that she had to cover for his impromptu paint job.

Jordan sighed. "I'm on my way. Any suggestions on what I should bring?"

Silence. "Adhesive solvent and something to cut duct tape."

Hearing that, Wheeljack and Ratchet stifled a round of chuckles. "Tell him we're on our way." With a sigh, Jordan obeyed, climbing carefully off the berth, the flock (minus two) swirling around them as they went to rescue Prowl and skin a few Lamborghinis.

* * *

**Because family reunions could be as bad as an Autobot party. O.o Especially ones with my family. ;P**


	3. Preparations Part I

"Mrrt!"

"Oof!" the breath was knocked temporarily out of Jordan's body as Snowy hopped from the floor and on to her stomach where he sat there and looked quizzically down at her. "Stupid cat." Jordan grumbled but patted his head, trying to go back to sleep. No such luck, for she sat up with a shriek as somebody (she suspected Katie) upended a bucket of cold water on her.

She bolted up, noticing that Snowy was off her stomach and trotting gleefully out the door, tail held jauntily in the air.

Whatever thoughts Prowl had when he walked in to find his partner soaking wet and swearing while she fixed her shirt, he kept them to himself and instead lofted an optic ridge. "Good. You're awake. Katie wants to see you."

Grumbling, Jordan stalked out the door and into the lounge where she found Snowy, Armonie, and Katie sitting there, all looking as innocent as they could. The policewoman walked up to Katie and glared as intimidating as she knew how to be which was quite a lot.

"I hate you." she growled when looming didn't work.

Again the innocent smile. "I love you too, Jordie."

Jordan sighed, aware that her wet hair was still dripping. "What do you want?"

This time, Armonie smiled. "We're going shopping."

Jordan looked up at them, a horrified look on her face. "No."

"You need something presentable for the reunion." Armonie pointed out, grinning like a loony. _Which they all are_, Jordan thought glumly, knowing she wasn't about to get out of this round of shopping. Not when she and Prowl didn't have patrol until late afternoon – more than eight hours away.

Jordan looked around in vain for her partner, only to find that he wasn't there; only Hot Rod and Jazz who were grinning down at her horrified expression. "He has monitor duty." Jazz explained to her horror. "You're stuck with us all day until your patrol."

There was a resounding _thunk_ as she let her head drop to the table.

-

"Red's such a nice color on you, Jordie." Katie cooed, receiving a glare from Jordan. "What do _you_ think, Army?"

The older woman nodded. "I agree. It sure suits you, Jordan." She gave the red blouse a gentle tug, then examined the skirt, nodding in satisfaction all the while.

"Are we done yet?" Jordan asked impatiently, only to be ignored.

"I think that'll do." Katie said, nodding. "What about dark blue like her uniform? Or would that be too dark?"

"Too dark." Armonie agreed. "Green?" she picked up the long skirt and a matching blouse and held it up for Katie and Jordan to see.

Katie frowned thoughtfully. "I think that'll look good, too." Armonie handed the clothing to Jordan, motioning for her to go and try it on. Rolling her eyes, she left in a flare of blood-red skirts to go into the fitting rooms.

Idly, Katie and Armonie chatted as they looked over more clothes for Jordan. Grumbling, she came out and stood still for them. As Armonie and Katie tugged at her sleeves, one of her coworkers was passing by. Immediately, she stiffened, drawing her friends' attention.

"Wow. Hey, Jordan. I didn't know you were a girl. I just thought you were gay." He said, leaning against a display rack.

Jordan swallowed a smart reply when Armonie tugged the side seam of her blouse in warning. Katie turned around, cast a look across the store, and then turned to look at Jordan and Armonie. "I'm sorry, did any of you say something?" the pointed look she gave Jordan told her that they'd take care of the jerk.

Armonie shrugged. "I didn't say anything. Perhaps it was a fart you heard. It sure smells like one. Green looks good, too."

"Why, you little –" he growled, pushing himself to his feet.

"Notice he can't think up a suitable reply." Katie murmured distractedly, looking over the clothes. "Green, red, and tan, then, right?"

"Yeah, on both counts." Armonie nodded decisively. "Okay, you can go and change back. We're done."

Warily, Jordan went into the fitting room. A minute later, she emerged in time to watch her fuming coworker leave. Calmly, Armonie was folding the skirts and blouses, adding the green ones to her pile.

"Come on. Some people don't know to mind their own business." Katie said flippantly, a dangerous glint to her blue-hazel eyes belying her casual attitude.

"You didn't have to do that." Jordan murmured as Armonie slung an arm around her shoulder and Katie carried the folded clothes.

Armonie cast her an insulted look and patted her on the back. "Of course we did. You're our friend."

"On a lighter note," Katie said, falling into step on Jordan's other side and hefting the small pile of clothes. "You'll make Prowl's logic center short out with these."

Jordan made an odd sound similar to the whine of an engine that won't start. "He's my _partner_."

"I said the same thing about my last boyfriend." Katie said with a wink as they reached the cashier. Before Jordan could protest, Katie paid for the clothes, earning a dark glare from her friend.

Carrying the bags, they wandered around for a bit before walking back outside to the waiting Hot Rod and Jazz.

"How'd it go?" Jazz asked as they approached, opening the door for them to put the bags in.

"Fine." Katie replied cheerfully. "We got Jordan some nice skirts and blouses that we think'll send Prowl's logic center short out."

Jazz and Hot Rod, who overheard, chuckled to Jordan's embarrassment. "Will you stop it?" she growled, face reddening, but not because she was angry.

Katie and Armonie laughed. "Only for now." The Italian woman promised, stepping into Hot Rod's passenger's seat as his hologram appeared behind the wheel.

Katie walked over to Jazz's driver's side while Jordan eyed the passenger's seat dubiously. Katie raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather sit with me where it's quiet, or go with Hot Rod and Army where they'll tease you endlessly?"

Rolling her eyes, Jordan sat in the offered seat, rubbing her forehead as Armonie and Hot Rod's idle chatter – mostly about her and Prowl – filtered through Jazz's radio. It was going to be a _long_ ride back.

* * *

**o.o Because I hate shopping. Absolutely loathe it. Hell, my step-brother likes it more than I do. O.o **

**My mom thinks I'm strange. I prefer getting hand-me-downs from cousins than going shopping. **

**And because I hate it when my friends (and mother O.o) bug me about who I like. D:**

**Next chapter: Preparations for the reunion. ;)**


	4. Preparations Part II

**O.O Based on true events. ((curls in a ball))**

* * *

"Ready to go?" Katie asked Jordan who continued to sulk.

"Yeah." She grumbled, fussing with her red skirt and scarlet blouse impatiently.

"Let's be off, then. C'mon, Snowy." With a _mrrt_, the tabby hopped on Katie's shoulders, draping himself across her shoulders.

-

"First stop, Aunty's house." Katie called cheerfully, driving down the road, aware that she was being followed closely by her friends. "We'll help get the food ready then head over to where the reunion's actually gonna be."

"_It's not going to be here?"_ Prowl asked. "_It seems like such a nice place for it."_

Katie chuckled. "It's going to be on the beach." She explained. "Aunty just lives nearby. We'll get ready here then migrate over to the beach unless the weather acts up."

"_Migrate?"_ Jordan echoed as Armonie laughed.

"Aunty's words, not mine." Katie said with a chuckle. "We'll be working with the Aunties and older cousins before we leave." She added.

"_Huh?"_ was the general consensus

"The Aunties are the ones who prepare the food, and the older cousins are the ones who do the smaller tasks like wash dishes, get the table ready, fetch drinks, decorate, etcetera, etcetera." Katie explained. "Younglings don't do zip, grandfathers and fathers sit around drinking beer or barbequing, mothers watch the younglings, and grandmothers sit and gossip amongst themselves. It's like a ranking system that's very informal."

"_You're family's strange."_ Armonie told Katie with a chuckle.

"You don't know the half of it." Katie replied. "We're here," she added a moment later.

As she got out, a woman who looked like she could be her sister poked her head out the door and beamed at Katie. "Hey, Laulau!"

Katie laughed. "Hey, Full Moon!" if the other woman was surprised that Katie spoke, she hid it behind a smile and a tight hug. "These are my friends Jazz, Prowl, Roddy, Armonie, Jordan, and Snowy." She winked at the last one as the tabby twined around her ankles. "Guys, this is my cousin Emily."

"Snowy I know." Emily said with a smile, bending to pet the cat before rising again to shake their hands. "It's nice to know Katie has friends." She said with a grin, earning a sharp jab to the ribs from her cousin. "Come in. We're just getting started."

Katie hefted the large platter of cookies she had brought and followed her cousin inside. "Emily and I are two of the three 'younger aunties'. If the aunties need extra help, we sub in. If there's enough help, then we take over the older cousins and get everything ready." She explained as she propped the door open and walked in.

There they were met with confusing but oddly orderly chaos.

What Hot Rod assumed were the 'older cousins' looked up from their myriad of tasks including making utensil packs, decorating cakes and cookies, transferring food to platters and trays, washing, drying, and putting away dishes, stopping what they were doing to say 'hi'. How three people could do that all at once, he didn't know, but they seemed stressed. Two little kids zoomed toward Katie, nimbly dodging aunties and cousins alike with the ease of long practice.

Emily took the cookies from Katie and put them on the table before she was all but tackled by the two kids. The two older cousins and third younger aunt – who were introduced as Nicole, Erin, and Wanda respectively – at them before returning to work.

The aunties bustling in the kitchen noticed and smiling came one by one to give them all a hug and a kiss on the cheek as long, strange names passed in one ear and out the other.

"Everyone born into the family has a Hawaiian name." Katie explained, rolling up her sleeves to get to work. "We generally call them by their English name, but sometimes we use their Hawaiian names as nicknames."

"So what will we be doing?" Armonie asked, following her lead and rolling up her sleeves.

"Wanda, Emily and I will assist the Aunties. You guys help poor Nicole and Erin. They look like they desperately need it." the two older cousins shot her a grateful glance as she passed.

Jordan looked dubiously at the two teens who continued to bustle around. "How can we help?"

Erin – at least, they _thought_ it was Erin; the two girls looked quite alike – paused and looked them over. "I'm Erin. Call me by my Hawaiian name and I'll punch you, no joke. Do you two have steady hands?" she asked the two women who nodded. "Can you decorate the cakes and cookies? That's what's giving us the biggest problems." Smiling, Armonie and Jordan went over and got to work. "You, work on the utensils – one fork, one knife, one spoon and wrap it all in a napkin. Go until you run out." She tugged on Prowl's sleeve and pushed him lightly toward where Nicole was working.

"Erin, here's another one." The hot pot was shoved into the girl's hands by an Aunty who bustled back off.

In turn, Erin shoved the pot into Hot Rod's hands. "You two take the hot plates from the Aunties and put them in the plates and bowls. When you're finished with them, bring the empty pots to me, and I'll wash them." she pointed at a different table laden with wooden and glass bowls and platters.

"How can we tell which goes where?" Jazz asked as he was handed a pan full of sizzling…something.

"It's labeled," Katie explained gently, making sure he had a good grip on the pan before leaving.

Jordan and Armonie entertained themselves decorating the palm-sized cookies with different designs the rest of the family wouldn't know of; Autobot and Decepticon faction insignias, various characters in Cybertronian that they had picked up while at the base, etcetera.

Nicole and Erin found it amusing, and stole a few when they weren't looking to munch on.

"It's Aunty's rule of snitching." Erin explained during a lull in the cooking and washing. "If you help out in the kitchen, you have the right to snitch food here and there."

"Snitch?" Armonie asked, looking at the younger of the two cousins.

Erin grinned. "Take something to eat." She picked up a piece of coconut gelatin and ate it with a smile. "But of course it always tastes better when you take it when no one's looking." She added, mouth full. With a muffled chortle, she stood and went back to cleaning dishes.

"It's chaotic." Jordan observed, drawing Nicole's attention from making utensil packets with Prowl.

"Wait 'till the rest of the family gets here. First it'll get crowded, then it'll get loud, and _then_ it'll be even worse." Erin came back and plopped down in her previously vacated seat, pretending like she was about to faint.

"And then us lowly older cousins will be called on like serving girls to fetch food, pass out utensils, and so on." At this, she sighed dramatically. "Our work is never done."

"And then Anuhea and Joshua will come and insist you play with them, give them horsie-back rides, chase them, and play cars with them." Katie said dryly, slinging an arm around the teen's shoulders.

"Thanks, Katie. I needed that. Really, I did." The girl said dryly, earning a slap on the back.

"Good to hear it. Always ready to help out a cousin." Katie nimbly dodged the flick of the dishtowel and laughing, sat down where Erin had just been. "Enjoying yourselves so far?" she teased, picking up a cookie and munching on it.

Jordan rolled her eyes. "I love it here." She said sarcastically, though they didn't miss the humor in her eyes as Emily and Erin began to trade quips at each other.

Katie smirked. "Good. 'Cause it's about to get a lot worse. Rest up; we're nearly finished, and you're going to need all the rest you can get." Smirk still in place, she left the apprehensive policewoman and laughing Italian behind.

* * *

**Based on true events and real people. :)**

**My cousin _does_ call me Laulau though I have no idea why, and in turn I call her Mahealani or Full Moon. ;) There _is_ a sort of ranking system in my family though no one really acknowledges it or gives names to it as I do. I also _hate_ it when I'm called by my Hawaiian name, even a shortened version of it. And I'm _always_ helping out with my step-sister doing multiple tasks at once. O.o**

**The reunion (and story) will actually go somewhere in the next chapter. XD;;**


	5. Family Troublemakers

"I think I should warn you." Katie said quietly as her relatives began to file in. "My family for the most part is nice, but try to stay away from my cousin Jorge. He's one of the biggest ones here, so if you see someone big, stay with someone from my family."

She could say no more as she was once more engulfed in hugs and kisses from her relatives and was soon lost in the crowd. Erin, noticing their uncomfortable glances, tugged them into the crowd, deftly steering them around and finding them a place to sit.

"It's raining and cold outside." She explained. "The reunion will be in here."

As the girl was about to leave, Jazz caught her arm. "Katie warned us about someone named Jorge. Which one is he?"

Her dark eyes grew darker, and her lips snapped shut so tightly that they were white-rimmed by the time she turned to look around. "That one over there." She said quietly, pointing toward the kitchen. "There are only two men in my family who are as large as he is, and neither of them have as many tattoos as he does." Wearily, she sat. "He's horrible, so do try to stay away from him. In a perfect world, he'd still be behind bars."

…_he'd still be behind bars._

The way she said it caused Jordan to bristle. Prowl, noticing, cast a quick glance at her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What did he do that was so horrible?"

Erin cast a quick glance around: no one was nearby. "I'm one of the only ones who will tell you," she said quietly, leaning forward. "My family wants to forgive and forget as fast as possible, you see." Erin took a deep breath. "Jorge is a drug addict. Not quite sure which ones, but I know one of them is heroin. I think he's an alcoholic too, but I'm not too sure. About two years ago he was caught and charged for DUI. Aunty bailed him out of jail and sent him to rehab. He got out of rehab and right back into the drug ring before you could say 'oh _crap_ he's back.' Last year he assaulted my cousin and tried to rape another woman while he was high. Got sent back to jail then let out on parole." Her eyes and face darkened. "As I said, in a perfect world, he'd still be behind bars." She tilted her head to the side as someone called her. Nodding to them, she stood and walked away.

Jordan looked at Prowl. "I remember that." She said quietly. "It was just before I met you, when my original squad car was destroyed. I was called to a house by dispatch. A meth addict had abducted two girls who lived in the neighborhood."

Erin came back a minute later, dodging the arm that Jorge shot out at her with the ease of long, reluctant practice. With a sigh, she sat down with them once more, resting her head in her hand.

"What happened after that?" Armonie asked quietly.

Erin didn't look up. "I called 9-1-1 when I heard Ellie screaming next door. The police arrived a little while later, burst into the house – I could hear it from where I was by the window. The screaming stopped and I heard shouting from Jorge. Then the cars left, and that was it. I think someone came to our door after that, but I'm not sure. I don't remember a lot of details, just the basic gist of it."

"You can't have called 9-1-1." Jordan blurted out, and the teen looked up, eyes haunted.

"Why not?"

"I met the girl who called in. You're what, eighteen? Nineteen? The girl couldn't be any older than twelve."

Dark eyes went flat. "Actually, I'm fifteen; I look older than I really am, and I'm rather short for my age, especially when I was thirteen." A dry smirk appeared on her face. "I _thought_ I recognized you from somewhere. Don't let Jorge know what you two are," she told Jordan and Prowl seriously. "If he does, it'll be horrible."

"Don' worry. We can take care of ourselves." Jazz said, placing a calming hand on her tense shoulder.

Erin shook her head. "I don't doubt that. It's just that Jorge is sneaky. If he wants something, he'll get it no matter what." Her dark eyes flicked to Katie as she came to join them. "I'm very worried about what he'd do to you guys. Only a few are brave – or stupid – enough to stand up to him, or get between him and something he wants."

"Glad to know somebody cares." Katie muttered and her cousin snorted. "Did you ditch Nicole again?"

Erin raised a dark brow. "So what if I did?"

"I was wondering why she was spazzing at the table." Katie rolled her eyes. "Go soothe the nerves of your step-sister, girlie." Erin made a face at her but stood and walked away toward the kitchen, once more dodging Jorge's arm, and hopping over the leg he kicked out to try and trip her.

"What's he doing?" Hot Rod asked curiously, and Katie made a face.

"She's half blind. He's trying to trip her so he can poke fun at her." She smirked. "Nicole is her step-sister, and usually ends up making sure she doesn't trip and fall and such. Usually Erin makes a game of 'losing' her in the crowd, goes off on her own for a bit, then goes back to Nicole."

"How did she work if she was half blind?" Hot Rod asked, surprised.

"Wanda or I usually put the dishes away if she's washing, and she can see the outlines of things, so she can do a bunch of stuff so long as she would be able to see its outline, like make utensil packets, arrange plates, wash and dry dishes." Katie explained as Erin and Nicole made their way back. "She also has a mean right hook." She added with a smirk.

As they passed Jorge, his great hand reached out and instead of reaching for Erin, grabbed Nicole's arm, dragging her closer. Erin, though half blind, knew what was going on and moved fast. Despite being barefoot, she kicked him hard in the groin, and then slammed a knuckle into the sensitive muscle in his arm, causing him to swear and let go.

Tugging on Nicole's arm, Erin drew her off toward Katie and Jazz. The younger of the two girls looked livid while the other looked shaken. "I rest my case." Erin said flatly, pushing Nicole into a chair before finding one herself. "You _don't_ want him angry at you."

"He's certainly very scary." Armonie observed, watching the big man swear and growl.

Erin snorted. "You don't know the half of it. He doesn't like me very much." She added with a smug grin.

"He doesn't like anybody." Katie said, rolling her eyes. "Especially you." she frowned. "You always seem to get on his bad side."

Erin smirked. "I try."

"Why? It's not the wisest thing to do." Armonie said with a frown, and Erin smirked again.

"Neither is kicking him in the nuts." Abruptly, her face darkened. "And neither is messing with my family." she wrapped an arm around Nicole's shoulders and resting her head on her shoulder. Dark eyes that couldn't see more than their outlines dared them to protest.

Nicole leaned back against her step-sister, shaking slightly. "Thanks, Erin."

"You're welcome, Nicole. It's what family does. Look out for each other." She bared her teeth angrily, no doubt thinking of Jorge as she said that. She paused slightly. "He's gone, isn't he? I don't hear him grumbling."

Katie looked around over the younger girl's shoulder. "No, I don't see him."

Erin blinked in surprise. "That's not good."

"Sorry to take away your protection, but we should get going." Jordan said, giving Prowl, Jazz and Katie a pointed glance to which they replied with a nod.

"It's okay." The smile didn't return to her face. She leaned forward. "You, you, and you." she pointed to Prowl, Jazz, and Hot Rod in turn. "I don't remember your names, and right now I don't care, but you better look after them and drive them home safely."

"Wha-?"

Brown eyes narrowed. "I don't want excuses, explanations, or anything else you want to use. I want my cousin and her friends safe, so when you're driving, keep an eye out for Jorge. Wherever you go, keep an eye out for him and be careful."

"How do you know?" Hot Rod asked quietly.

"How did you recognize me?" Jordan asked abruptly, drawing the girl's gaze. "Katie said you're half blind, yet you could recognize me. How?"

Erin smiled, baring more teeth than necessary. "Let's just say that I see things …differently than many people." She stood, holding Nicole steady as she stood. "Drive safely. Be careful, please." With a nod, they disappeared into the crowd.

Katie went and said her good-byes, making sure Jazz was within view at all times. Walking to his physical body, she cast a glance around, unable to explain the 'being watched' instinct that made the hair on the back of her neck rise. Unable to shake the feeling, she stepped inside and leaned back against the seat at Jazz drove off.

Jorge, who had been in the garage, watched them as they drove away, cold blue eyes narrow and direct.

* * *

**School starts again tomorrow. ): Updates may be slower.**


	6. Informant

There was something off with her. She was happy, for one. Marie wasn't the best mother, and Aldrin definitely wasn't as supportive as he should have been. So…what was it? What made her so happy?

As far as Jorge knew, she wasn't on drugs…or was she? There were many things about her he didn't know, and he didn't like it. As soon as she had broken her leg a month and a half ago, he didn't hear any word from her. It was as if she had disappeared off the face of the Earth.

And now, in time for her family reunion, she had conveniently appeared (and disappeared) with a Ferrari, new Pontiac Solstice, and a squad car.

Just thinking of the police made his drug-infested veins boil, but he forced himself to calm down. No. He'd watch and wait, and find out just what happened to his…wayward cousin. But first, he had another cousin to deal with. With a toothy grin, he went in search of the blind freak.

-

The jaunty tune from her cell phone made her jump and pause, rifling through her fanny pack and pulling out the loud object. Dark eyes glared at it but flipped it open when the annoying noise didn't stop and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"_Erin? It's Jordan,"_

"From the reunion, I remember." The girl replied mildly. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

"_I hope you don't mind. I asked Katie for your number. I wanted to talk to you about Jorge."_

Erin gave a dry laugh. "Well, I don't recommend going near the house. Jorge's lurking around there, and I'm not sure what he'd do if he sees you." she snorted. "Some babysitter _he_ is. Can't even watch a half-blind teenager."

"_It's not safe to be out like that, especially not with Jorge out and about_." Jordan admonished gently, and Erin rolled her eyes in amused humor. _"Where are you? I'll come and keep you company."_

Erin looked around, not that it did her much good. "Not too sure, really."

"_Never mind. I see you."_ The line beeped, telling Erin the conversation was over as a car – she wasn't sure what kind – pulled up nearby. She paused, squinting as a familiar shape got out. "Need some help?"

Erin smiled slightly. "No, I'll be fine." She stepped forward carefully and caught the door as it popped open. "Thanks." She slid inside carefully, pulling her leg out of the way as the door closed.

"I'm a little worried about Jorge." Jordan admitted, pretend to drive off.

Erin sat quietly in the passenger's seat, frowning thoughtfully. "I am too. When he came back in after you left, he looked a little odd."

"How so?" Jordan asked.

Erin paused, thinking over her words. "He came back in and walked right past me. It was like he didn't even see me, or something. He didn't try to trip me for the rest of the night, and he looked thoughtful, as if he had something he was thinking hard over."

Jordan frowned. "How are Jorge and Katie related?"

"They're second cousins." The girl replied. "Her mother's brother's son married our cousin."

"So you're Katie's cousin?"

"Correct."

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you think of Jorge?"

Erin was silent for a while, her dark half-sightless eyes flashing in anger. "Oh, I hate him more than anything. My mother thinks I'm crazy – that I only imagined what happened last year with Mich and Ellie. Michelle's my cousin, but I only heard her friend Ellie screaming then. The only people who would speak to me after that were Wanda, my Aunty, Nicole, and Katie. Those are the only others – besides Mich and Ellie, I mean – that believed me when I told them that Jorge was sadistic bastard." Her fists clenched. "I'm scared of him – of my own house because Mich and Ellie were taken from there and no one knew! I wake up in the middle of the night panicking and thinking that he's going to come in and do something horrible."

Jordan was quiet. "I'm sorry."

Erin turned and looked at her. "I should be the one apologizing. I don't usually spill like that."

"I think it's because no one would believe you so you locked it all away." Prowl said quietly, activating his hologram and causing Erin to twitch in surprise.

"I'm also very, very scared of him." She frowned. "Where are we right now?"

Jordan looked around. "Near a café called Honeydew, why?"

"Stop. I have something to show you." Prowl pulled over and carefully, Erin got out of the car. "I'll be right back." As they watched, she walked into the café and disappeared behind the counter. She returned a minute later, a small pouch in her hand.

"Over here." With a grateful smile, she followed Jordan's voice and stepped into the car.

"Ever since last year when Mich and Ellie were attacked by Jorge, I've kept records, right records of what I know on this disk." She held up a CD marked with blue marker. "On this," at this she held up an unmarked CD. "I have observations. What I've heard, what I smelled, saw (what little I could), and found."

"You found things?" Jordan asked, surprised. "How? Did you go snooping in his stuff?"

Erin looked indignant. "If I did, he'd know about it. I found things lying around, and took them when no one was looking." She frowned and reached out to touch Prowl's dashboard. Slowly, she edged toward the edge of her seat and brought her ear close to the upholstery, a thoughtful look on her face. Then she moved her ear closer to the radio. "Say something."

"What?"

Erin flapped an impatient hand at her. "Not you."

"What is the purpose of this?" Prowl asked calmly and satisfied, Erin nodded.

"I thought so." Carefully, she reached into her fanny pack and pulled out an odd looking device, a little smaller than her palm. "I found this on the couch when Jorge was passed out after his high about a week ago. At first I thought it was the remote, so I ignored it and then it made this sound. It was like this high-pitched buzzing that echoed in my head, so I picked it up. It smelled like alcohol so I cleaned it off a bit."

She extended her hand in the direction of Jordan who took it gingerly. "I've never seen anything like this." She murmured. "It almost looks like a walkie-talkie, but it's not."

"That's a portable comm. unit." Prowl said quietly as Erin edged back into her seat. "Are you sure it's Jorge's?"

Erin snorted and reflexively rubbed her arm. "Of course I'm sure." she grumbled. "The next day he woke up and was shouting around the house about losing his 'cell phone' and for some obscure reason came to me first. Roughed me up a bit before being satisfied that I had no idea what the hell he was talking about." Erin frowned. "I was about to return it to where I found it when I heard his voice come over. He said 'I lost it, but I got something else,' or something like that. I have it on the disk." She added.

Jordan's eyebrows rose. "You're certainly very thorough."

Erin snorted again. "I'm very angry," she corrected. "There's a big difference."

"Thank you for the information." Prowl said quietly. "I hope it won't get you in trouble."

Erin laughed bitterly. "Jorge hates me already, so I don't worry much."

Prowl started his engine and began to drive off. They were silent for a while before pulling to a stop in an empty alley. "I will give you whatever I can if you want." Erin said quietly. "Thanks, by the way, for listening to the rambles of the insane."

Jordan placed a hand awkwardly on her shoulder. "You're not insane, but you are very helpful. Try not to get hurt or Katie'll _never_ forgive me." at this, Erin smirked.

"I'll never forgive myself if I let that bastard hurt me."

Jordan handed her a small card. "Here's our number. I'm sure you can get Nicole to read it for you or something, but on the top is mine and Prowl's, the one below it is Armonie's, and the third one is Katie's, because we weren't sure if you had her new number."

With a smile, Erin pocketed the card. "I guess I'm your informant, then, eh? Do you want to tell me what I'm looking for in particular?"

"Drugs, acts of strange violence, signs of guilt, whatever you were looking for before." Jordan replied.

"Also, look for things like that comm. unit." Prowl added. Erin nodded. "Anything odd and metal, if that's not too vague."

Erin smirked. "No, that's fine. I'm sure I can find a bunch of stuff."

"Be careful." Jordan added again. "If you follow the alley down, you'll find yourself on your street near your house."

The teen smiled. "Thanks. I'll call you if I get something." She pocketed the card and stepped out carefully. With a jaunty salute at them, she walked casually back to her house.

"She's certainly very strange." Prowl murmured, shifting into gear and driving away. "At least she's willing."

Jordan grimaced. "I didn't see that coming when I called her this morning," she admitted. "But it's welcome, certainly."

"Well, welcome or not, it's still dangerous. We should warn Katie."

"I will, I will, don't worry."

"I always worry, especially when it comes to you," Prowl said quietly.

* * *

**Don't get too attached to Erin, now.**


	7. Letters and JorgenotJorge

**Warning: Extreme crappiness. -.-**

**. . . and some swearing.**

* * *

Erin didn't feel good. No, she felt bad. In fact, she'd never felt this bad before. Her stomach hurt as if she was sick and someone had punched her in the gut, but she knew she wasn't sick at all. It felt horrible, and every time she ate, her stomach lurched so much that she could only get a few bites before having to throw the rest away.

Naturally, Nicole and her mother were worried, but definitely not Jorge. He watched her when her stomach spasmed and lurched with an almost…gleeful light in his eyes. It made Erin hate him even more if that was at all possible.

Her fury made her go to great lengths to get the requested information for Jordan, and it wasn't until a week of stomach cramps that she noticed her eyesight was failing. Colors became duller (not that she saw a great many, anyway), and outlines became blurry.

As before, she catalogued each thing she saw Jorge say and do.

Recently she noticed him going out for a late-night rendezvous, but being dark and slightly more than half-blind, she couldn't follow him. So instead she noted when he left and when he returned, sometimes at seven in the morning.

As her eyesight failed, she felt the pains rise to her chest where it felt as if the muscles were spasming or as if someone had broke her heart in the metaphorical sense.

She was usually pretty fit; before Mission City she had ran the 300 meter hurdles in track and done pretty well. After losing half of her sight, she resorted to running with a friend who tied their wrists together with a shoelace, just to keep in shape even though she could never play soccer or run her hurdles race ever again.

But now, she couldn't even do that – the pains in her stomach and chest made her keel over and wheeze after a hundred meters. It irked her to no end, worried Nicole and her mother, and seemed to please Jorge.

Only the cold seemed to help, so that was why Jordan and Prowl found her walking outside in the chilly November air wearing only a thin shirt. She jumped in surprise when she heard them pull up near her, hopping further away from the curb. The adrenaline rush that came with her surprise heated her body enough that she felt a protesting stab of pain from her stomach.

"Are you okay, Erin?" Jordan asked worriedly and recognizing her voice, the teen calmed down.

"I have more information, and I don't like it one little bit." She blurted out.

The vague outline she recognized as Jordan nodded and led her gently with a hand on her arm to the squad car whose passenger door was already open.

"You're ice cold! What are you doing out without a jacket?" Jordan asked, shrugging out of her jacket. Erin, feeling the warmth begin to settle around her shoulders shook it off. Some part of her _wanted_ the warmth, but the survival-is-more-important part of her retaliated.

"If I stay cold, I won't hurt." She told the officer, sliding into the car and wincing. It was warm. Automatically, the vents near her flicked in her direction and blasted frigid air on her.

"What do you need to tell me?" Jordan asked gently and Erin jerked her head to blink fuzzily at her.

"Jorge isn't Jorge." She said bluntly. She didn't need to see her face to know that Jordan blinked in surprised confusion. "I _know_ it doesn't make sense, but he _isn't Jorge_. It's like he's just an illusion or something."

"I'm confused. Start over."

Erin took a deep breath and calmed her nerves. "I found a few more things of interest. This time I _did_ go snooping in his room. It was empty. Like he moved out or something. When he was arrested he sold the house to pay for a lawyer and moved into an empty room near mine. It's empty. The only thing there was…well, I'm not really sure what it was, but I have it here."

She reached into her bag and carefully pulled out a razor-sharp triangular shard of dull gray metal. Carefully, she handed it to Jordan who looked it over.

"I don't know what it is, but ever since I got that, Jorge's been looking at me funny. I guess he noticed that it wasn't there anymore. Yesterday I was talking with him and we started to joke around. I said something about an old inside joke we had when I was little and he used to baby-sit me. He didn't remember it at all." Erin shook her head. "Ever since we got back from Mission City everything's been whacky."

Prowl gave an un-car-like jerk. "You were at Mission City?"

Erin blinked. "Yea." She said slowly. "Were you?"

Silence. "What do you mean by that?"

"By what?"

"That everything was 'whacky'."

The human snorted. "Well, for one I went to Mission City with 20-30 vision, and left half-blind. We went for a family outing – before Jorge moved to Tranquility, he lived near there in one of the big buildings so we went to visit him. We lost him a little while during whatever happened and when he returned he was acting really weird. Something about 'stupid insects'. We just thought he was just knocked up a bit."

"You don't seem well."

Erin snorted. "That's 'cause I'm not. A little while ago I began losing my sight. The outlines of things are blurrier now. As soon as I got that metal thing I've been sick."

"What kind of sick?" Prowl asked sharply.

Erin frowned slightly. "I haven't eaten more than a few bites each meal because my stomach keeps trying to murder me. If I don't stay cold, then my chest and stomach hurts enough to make me puke. That enough for ya?"

"You should go see a doctor." Jordan admonished gently. Erin turned and looked at her as well as she was able to. The message those brown orbs conveyed silenced her and she looked down. "What will Katie say?"

"I don't know, but give her this for me." Erin reached once more into her bag and pulled out a large envelope. There was a black X in the bottom right hand corner and it was rather heavy. With a nod, she opened the door and stepped out, back into the icy fog, dark eyes sad. Dressed in her thin clothes, she left the comfort of her cousin's friends who she had come to know and respect.

With a heavy heart, she went back to the place she used to call home.

-

Katie was talking to Jazz, a warm mug of cocoa in her hand. Despite the heater the Autobots had thoughtfully made for their human guests, she was still cold.

Jordan and Prowl had been disappearing periodically every few weeks to go here and there, even when they didn't have patrols. Needless to say she was curious, but she left them to it; if they wanted to tell her, then they'd do so in their own time.

So she was noticeably surprised when Jordan and her partner walked in, bundled up with a thick scarf wrapped around her neck.

"Hey, Jordie." Katie said cheerfully, then frowned; the policewoman had a sort of jaded look to her eyes, and when she heard the unwanted nickname, she cracked a sad sort of smile.

She came over slowly, her cold-flushed face becoming sober with each step. "I saw Erin today. She asked me to give this to you." she said quietly, holding out the envelope.

There was a sharp crash as the mug in her hand slipped from suddenly-numb fingers. Katie's jaw was loose, and her blue-hazel eyes were locked on the black X in the bottom corner of the envelope. Shaking and ignoring the shattered porcelain, cocoa dripping down her legs, and the worried questions of Jazz and Armonie, she took the envelope and opened it, moving to sit at the table nearby.

She pulled out a piece of paper and opening it, began to read. Jordan, Armonie, and Jazz and Prowl's hologram read the letter over her shoulder. It was meticulously written in black ink on white paper. The writing was neat but a little messy, and it was obvious that Erin wrote it and not someone else.

"_Katie, my dear cousin._

_I'm not sure if you remember the symbols we created when we were little. If you remember or not, I don't mind. In case you have forgotten, as many are apt to, the little black symbol signifies death. Whose death, I know, and don't want anyone else save you and whoever of your friends read this to know._

_For a little while, I was Jordan's informant on Jorge. I had finally found someone who thought that he was as corrupt as I did, and she and her partner (whose name escapes me) made me feel useful for once. Knowing you, you're likely thinking 'what the hell?!', but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about._

_I have told Jordan this, but I left a lot out, knowing that you'd likely share it with her later. Jorge isn't Jorge. I'm not sure who he is, but he isn't our cousin. A year ago we went to Mission City to visit him (we meaning mom, Nicole and I). He was nice, before he had done all those horrible stuff. We were all changed at Mission City. Nicole became shy, mother became less protective, and I became half blind. Jorge, however, I'm not sure about. Something happened to him and I don't like it one little bit._

_Recently, he has been acting very odd. I have it all recorded on the disks I gave Jordan, and in this envelope I added a few more disks. Your friends have made me realize something: I realized that Jorge isn't real. When I met them, I heard a sort of buzzing, something that was very high-pitched, and it hurt the base of my skull a bit, but I realized when I went home and Jorge said good-night to me, that he had that same buzz. Also, he smelled a little funny. Like grease and cold and pine trees, not like cigarettes, alcohol, or sweat. Just that odd combination. _

_Jordan and her partner can show you the 'portable comm. unit' that I lifted from him a little while ago. I realize a little of what's going on now, but I don't have time to look for what I need. That is why I send all my information to you, cousin. You have the time to sift through what I've found and observed, and it grows harder and harder for me to see each day. I would be useless, but I can hope that when I die, I die for something good and doing something useful. _

_Jordan, that shard – be careful with it. Don't let it cut yourself, because when I first got it, it gave me a small nick. I have no evidence, but I believe that it is what is causing my sickness, and Jorge-who-isn't-Jorge knows it. He watches me now at mealtimes, giving me a sort of gleeful look as he watches me eat a bite or two before having to get rid of my meal. He looks smug – no doubt he will look through my room the first chance he gets – so I have sent all my evidence (as mentioned above) here with you. _

_There is something wrong with me and something wrong with faux-Jorge. I am sick – deathly so – and he… he isn't real. He's real, but he's not, like Jordan's partner, and your friend, the one with the gold eyes. Recently, I have seen a car driving around. I can't tell you precisely what color it is, but it's a strange one that I haven't seen before. I think it has something to do with him._

_As I have mentioned to Jordan, I had gone into his room. It's empty. Bare of everything, but I did find that odd shard. It smells funny too. Like…hot air and car exhaust. I don't like it._

_Katie, I will die. I know this as well as I know my own name. I know this is the stupidest, _crappiest_ most clichéd letter I've ever written, but I need to say this. I will die. I know this. I can't be fixed. I know this as well. My heart is failing, my eyesight (what left there is) is failing, I have a hard time breathing, and my intestines are in revolt. My death will be painful, but I won't complain – I won't give that psychopathic, not-our-cousin bastard the joy of seeing me like that._

_Katie, please don't tell Nicole or my mother about this letter. I have other letters in the envelope for them. Please give it to them when the time is right. I have written in the letter to my mother that I would like to be cremated, and my ashes given to you; I figure that you will find something suitable to do with them._

_I may sound like I'm being melodramatic, but I'm not. I'm stating the truth. I have taken extra precautions as well. I have larger parcels that I couldn't add to this, so in the envelope are a few note cards and receipts of places where I left them._

_The answer is here somewhere in my notes, but this sickness will not allow me to pursue it. I ask of you and your friends to search for it for me. I wish that Jorge was the Jorge we knew, but he's not, and he is a sadistic killer. Be careful, but please find out what's going on with him. I _don't_ want him to do anything to anyone else like what he did to Mich and Ellie._

_Some deranged sort of family this is. _

_Don't come by the house, please Katie. I wish I could see you one last time, but I don't want not-Jorge knowing. _

_For me, dear cousin, if nothing else, please be happy, live long, and be careful. _

_Much love,_

_Your cousin_

_Erin"_

Carefully, her hands shaking, Katie upended the envelope and spread its contents over the table. Polaroids of happy moments of long ago were stacked neatly and tied with a red and gold ribbon – Erin's favorite colors. A small photo album appeared, filled to the brim with pictures of little kids playing. A small spiral notebook slid out as well, filled with tiny, neat notes that were dated and timed meticulously. Three more disks, a flash drive, and a few small knickknacks tumbled out and on to the table.

A pair of note cards and a fine receipt fluttered out last. One of the note cards bore the address of the small café where Erin worked part-time. The receipt was for six zebra finches from the nearby pet store; the pickup date was dated two days from today – Katie's birthday. On the last note card were six words.

"_Good luck. God bless you all."_


	8. Sifting through the clues I

There was a fiery burning in her stomach that grew to feel like a burning sensation. Her temperature skyrocketed and then went to hell in a hand basket. Her mother finally acknowledged that she was sick, and confined her to her room, giving her spoonfuls of chicken broth (ignoring her weak protests that she could feed herself, blind or not) and making sure there was a bucket in case she emptied what little she had in her stomach.

Once in a while she had a few painful dry heaves, and the great, pounding headache didn't help matters. Despite her horrid state, she had enough energy to glare at not-Jorge when he walked in to "watch over her".

He pulled the chair closer to her bed and even though she was blind, she could feel his eyes boring into her. Feel the sneer that decorated his face when Nicole left.

"What do you want?" she growled.

"I think you know." His voice lost that smooth baritone and became rough and grating that didn't fit him in any way.

Erin sneered. "Prove it."

A great, cool hand pressed against her throat, pressing her into the pillows and blankets around her. Surprised, she clawed futilely against not-Jorge's hand which eased off when she was on the brink of unconsciousness. Gasping, Erin took great breaths and blinked her useless but watery eyes.

"Good enough for you?" that odd grating voice seemed to materialize beside her ear.

"So what do I know?" Erin hissed roughly.

"Something I do. For example, what do you know about me?"

Erin sneered. "Wouldn't you like to know." Anything else she was about to say was interrupted by a round of coughing. When she was over, she had to wipe the speckles of blood from her face and hands.

Not-Jorge growled. "I have the cure for that sickness. You tell me, and I'll cure it. Put you out of your misery."

Erin gave a derisive, wry bark of a laugh. "Kill me is more like your style, isn't it? You never were like my cousin. Not at all."

Not-Jorge leaned closer, so close that the teen could feel his cool breath on her face, and smell the odd grease-pine-cold scent she had picked up from him earlier. "Perhaps I'm not trying to blend in. Not for very long, at least. What if I'm not trying to be Jorge, hmm?"

"Then what are you and what happened to my cousin?" she hissed, bridling.

He gave a derisive laugh. "Your cousin is dead. Dead since Mission City. I merely…filled in for the time being. Went undercover for a little while, nothing much. As for what I am, well, I'm not human. I'm not your cousin. You should be specific, really."

Erin growled. "Who are you, what are you, and stop playing games with me."

Not-Jorge laughed and placed a hand over her neck. Leaning over her, he whispered in her ear as she writhed and struggled weakly. "I'm Dead End." Standing, he left the human to work to catch her breath again.

She didn't have long.

-

"_I don't really know what is going on here."_ The soft voice of her cousin floated over the small tape player in front of her. In her lap was a notebook with notes on what Erin catalogued. _"It's something strange, like I've stepped into another world. October twenty-ninth, eight o-clock in the morning. Jorge returned late – he had gone out at nine at night last night, when he thought everyone was asleep, and returned an hour ago. I have yet to figure out what he's doing out so late and so long, but for one who gets so little sleep, he looks as crisp and fresh as I don't, staying up late to wait up for him."_

The tape player cut off and jaded, Katie looked up to find Jazz's hologram looking down at her, golden eyes gentle. "Stop, Katie. You need to rest and take care of yourself. Stop killing yourself like this."

"Easy for you to say. My cousin is dying for this." Katie said bitterly.

Jazz sighed and lifted her easily. "Erin made her decision, and she's gonna stick with it. She can't rest from it because there is nothing to rest from; she's dying, about to go into eternal slumber. _Why_ should she be resting? _You_, on the other hand, can stick with your decision _and_ rest at the same time. You can listen to this later, and I will listen with you, and so will Prowl and Jordan when they can, and you _know_ Army and Roddy will do the same. So please rest, Katie. Don't get too caught up in this tangle, 'kay?"

Katie sighed. "Okay, Jazz." She was asleep before Jazz even got to their room.

-

"Jazz, what is that static noise?" Katie asked, turning the volume louder.

Jazz was quiet for a while, analyzing it. "It's Cybertronian." It was Hot Rod that spoke. "Erin said that Jorge isn't Jorge, sounds like a hologram, and smells like a hologram."

"He _is_ a hologram." Kati"e finished grimly.

"But whose?" Jordan asked, rubbing her temples. "She claims that everything started at Mission City. Maybe if we can find the _why_ and the _what_, we can find the _who_."

Armonie shuffled through her designated folders and pulled out a neatly organized timeline. "Okay. Erin wrote that at Mission City, Jorge was the only one who wasn't injured, even though he was in the middle of the fights and her, her mother, and her sister weren't. Not a scratch on him, and they chalked up his weird behavior to trauma."

Prowl wrote quickly, taking notes faster than any human was capable of doing. "Anything else about Mission City?"

"Here we go." Jordan said, pulling out a paper from one of her designated folders. "It's a sort of narration of what happened at Mission City." She explained. "Shall I read it out loud?"

"By all means." Jazz drawled.

"'_The hours spent huddling in that old building seemed to pass with agonizing slowness. To pass the time, I looked out into the streets and watched the clouds of dust billow up and around, curling here and rolling there. I thought I saw Jorge running across the street towards me and Nicole. My step-sister and I were the only ones left in the inadequate shelter, waiting for Jorge to get back from escorting our mother somewhere safe. A cloud of thick smoke rolled by and when it cleared, Jorge was still running. He was in the middle of the street now, head down and charging toward us. _

'_I didn't have the strength or the voice to call out a warning to him as a red Porsche slammed into him. When the car was a foot away, another cloud of smoke passed and when it cleared, both Jorge and the car were gone.'_" Jordan looked up as Prowl scribbled something down on the notepad.

"Perhaps that is our clue." Prowl said quietly. "A red car came driving at Jorge, and disappeared after allegedly hitting him. That would mean Jorge is dead, and if that car is a Decepticon, it took his place."

"A red Porsche." Jazz said thoughtfully, his hologram leaning back in his chair.

"Hey, Jazz, weren't one of the Stunticons red?" Hot Rod asked abruptly. "Dead End?"

"That's right." Jazz said slowly. "So Dead End is posing as Jorge, but where are the other Stunticons? They can't be very far."

Prowl frowned, and looked at the piles of notes on the table. "I think Erin is right. The answer is in here somewhere, and we just need to look through it and find it. But first, let's see what we have on these." He said, tapping the box of cassette tapes. "These are the slowest to go through, and I'll listen to them and make notes. That way we can read them instead of listening."

Katie sighed and rubbed her temples. "Thanks, guys. Really. This is too confusing for me to work out on my own."

Jazz rested a cool hand on her shoulder. "We'll all get to the bottom of this, Katie. Don't worry."

"I can't help but worry. My cousin was living with a Decepticon and didn't even know it!"

"She did." Armonie said quietly. "She didn't know what he was, but she knew that he wasn't her cousin. You can tell through what she gave us," she added, motioning at the pile of papers, folders, notebooks, and cassette tapes scattered over the cafeteria-sized table. "Erin may not have known much about what was going on, but she did know that something was wrong and she wanted to make it right."

Katie sighed. "You're right. But why? Why would a Decepticon want to pose as a human for a year?"

There was silence at the table and at last, Armonie stood. "That is what we are trying to figure out, dear." She said, placing a comforting hand. "In the meantime, you two look hungry. I'll go make you guys some pasta; Romhild always said I made the best in all of Italy, so I'll have to test my title here."

Katie smiled weakly; she loved pasta. "Thanks, Army. I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

"Curl up and die, most likely." Jazz drawled, giving her a one-armed embrace to show her he was joking.

"I feel so selfish." She murmured to him and politely, Jordan and Prowl struck up a conversation about the notes Erin took so they couldn't be accused of eavesdropping. "Armonie lost her family; Jordan has enough to worry about, and me? Well, all I did was get abused when I was a kid. I feel selfish for demanding their time and effort for this."

"You know what, Katie, you're not selfish." Jordan told her firmly, breaking off from her polite conversation with her partner and glaring at the slightly older woman. "We're doing this for you. You're our friends, and this is what friends do, or so you and Army told me back at that clothing store. You're not asking this of us; we're the ones asking you so we can help, so don't think you're selfish, 'cause you're not. We've all been through hardships in our lifetimes, but you're not a freak for 'not having one'. No, we're all freaks and we're friends because our guardians are also freaks."

There was silence in the lounge for a good, long minute, and it was Prowl who spoke up. "Wow, Jordan. I didn't think you had a pick-me-up speech in you. a little blunt, yes, but with a little work it'll be fine."

"Shut up, Prowl."


	9. Arcee?

It felt as if heat was radiating off her body in waves, but she knew it was only from her perspective. Within a few hours, the sheet was soaked with sweat as her body tried to cool off. Dead End continued to try and get information from her, and it was only from a force of will for her to refuse him.

It certainly didn't help that she was completely blind now. She couldn't even read, not that it would have lasted very long, as every once in a while her stomach felt as if it was about to explode.

A soft wind flew in through the door and the smell of hot rubber, pine, and cold, in addition to Dead End's odd scent. "Is this the human?" a new, rough, grating, deeper voice said from somewhere nearby.

"Yes." That was Dead End's odd, higher-than-expected voice.

"What's it to you?" Erin growled.

"Spunky." The new voice sneered. "What is wrong with her?"

"Poisoned, by the shard no doubt."

"And what happened to it?"

"She took it, no doubt, but I can't find it anywhere in the house."

"She's also still in the room." Erin drawled, curling up as a fit of coughing overtook her. She groped around with a blood-splattered had for a tissue and carefully wiped her lips and hands.

_Nope. Not long now,_ she thought dryly to herself.

-

When they left, Erin felt around beneath her pillow for her laptop. Finding it, she pulled it out as Nicole walked in. "Can you help me send an e-mail? I wanna send something to Katie."

"Okay." Nicole walked over and typed in their cousin's e-mail address before politely averting her eyes as Erin typed.

"Good thing Mom made me take all those typing classes," Erin said dryly. "Else I'd never be able to type and Katie'll be thinking 'what the hell?'" When she was done, Nicole pressed the send button, not liking how hot her step-sister's skin felt. "You smell funny." Erin said quietly.

"I just got back from work and I was in the kitchen for a while." Erin didn't seem to buy it, but said nothing, instead leaning back and resting in the pile of pillows and sweat-soaked blankets.

-

Quietly, Nicole closed the door behind her. She didn't like this one little bit. Erin's temperature was way high, and both of them knew any day now she'd die unless something was done.

Cat-quiet, she crept to Jorge's room and pressed her ear gently against the wood. Inside, she could hear muffled voices.

"…_Autobots could have it."_

"_Is it likely?"_

"_I don't know. As far as I was able to get, Erin has had no contact with them."_

"_Perhaps someone she knows?"_

"_No one. She has no friends, and she can't work now that she's blind."_

"_We'll have to get to the bottom of this. Meet back up at the base, and make sure no one follows you." _

Hurriedly, Nicole walked as quietly as she was able to back towards Erin's room so it appeared as if she had just gotten out. Hearing Jorge's door open, she didn't turn back, walking down the stairs and into the living room. There, she sat on the couch and turned on the TV.

"I'm going out." Jorge told his aunty who nodded idly. He cast a dark-eyed look at Nicole who ignored him. Satisfied, he left.

Only when she heard his car engine start and fade away did she turn off the TV and stand. "I'm going out too." She called to her step-mother who gave her a prolific "okay, have fun".

She crept out, checking the street to see if there were any suspicious vehicles, or that Jorge was coming back. Neither, so she walked into the garage.

Had her step-mother known that she had a motorcycle, she'd be a dead girl. Literally. Smiling, she ran a hand down the smooth pink metal before lifting pulling on her helmet and gloves. She rolled the cycle out of the garage and into the street, moving to straddle it easily. Checking to make sure that her step-mother wasn't at the window or near one, she started the engine and sped off.

-

Snowy looked up as his human's laptop chimed. Knowing that it was important if it chimed, he stood and stretched. Awake, he trotted down the hall, tail held aloft and thinking of the treats that Katie was sure to give him for delivering the message of the laptop to her.

Licking his whiskers, he entered the lounge.

-

"'_He says his name is Dead End. Today, he brought in someone else to see me. They say that I may be poisoned by the shard. Be careful. Dead End called him Motormaster or something like that, but aside from that, they didn't say much. They just asked me a bunch of questions – how much did I know, why I was snooping, and so on. Erin.'"_

"What do you make of it?" Jordan asked, looking at Prowl and Jazz who were frowning thoughtfully.

"Well, it confirms what we know." Prowl replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The Stunticons are on Earth, but what is the shard they're talking about?"

Jazz picked it up and looked it over. "It looks like any other shard of metal from Cybertron. What can they possibly want with it?"

"Let's ask Ratchet." Armonie suggested, picking up the empty plates they used to eat their lunch. "I'll meet you guys there."

Wearily, Katie and Jordan stood and walked with their partners to Ratchet's domain.

-

"I haven't the slightest clue." Ratchet murmured, turning it over in his hand and ignoring that Wheeljack was staring over his shoulder as well as he could.

They were interrupted as light footsteps belonging to no one they knew in the base sounding just outside the doors. They slid open with a hiss, revealing a wide-eyed human girl.

"Nicole, what are you doing here?" Katie asked, moving toward the girl who surprisingly didn't seem at all surprised by Jazz, Prowl, Hot Rod, Wheeljack, and Ratchet, all of which were gathered nearby.

Nicole's chest moved erratically as she panted for breath. Tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm not Nicole. I'm _not her_. Erin's sick and there're Decepticons in the house. Nothing's right anymore, and Ratchet, I _know_ you can help her. _Please_."

Surprised, the humans looked from Nicole to Ratchet, who stared down at her in surprise, but it was Wheeljack who spoke. "Arcee?"

* * *

**Okay, guys. Like last time, you get to vote. This time, you get to vote for two things.**

**1) JordanxProwl story (like 'Come What May') **

**2) Shall Erin die?**


	10. Sickness

**): I was going to post this yesterday before I left with my dad, but fanfiction was being a weirdo. :(**

**. . . Apparently a bunch of people 1) don't want me to kill poor Erin off, and 2) want me to write a ProwlxJordan story. . . hmm... Fine, I won't kill lil Erin. :) And once this story is finished, then I'll get to work on the ProwlxJordan one. It'll be like 'Come What May' but include how they met. Happy? ;)**

_

* * *

_

_Sightless brown eyes half-closed, Erin doubled over on her bed, splattering the sweat on her forehead as she shook. Thick droplets slid down her forehead and face and splattered on teh close-to-soaked blue comforter on her bed. With a shaking arm, she reached for her water bottle and drank, not caring that she spilled some down her face and chest._

_No sooner did she put the water bottle on the side did she collapse in a fit of coughing, splattering drops of red over her hand and comforter. She curled up tighter, squeezing her eyes shut as she rode out the fit of painful coughing._

-

"What's her fever?" Ratchet asked, looking up from the image Arcee broadcasted of the human girl.

"Around 102.5 degrees Farenheit." The female Autobot replied promptly. "Yesterday she was around 99 degrees, but today she rose 1.5 degrees, faster than she has previously."

"When has she started coughing up blood?"

"Yesterday morning, I think."

"How long was she sick?"

Arcee shook her head. "That's the one thing I don't know. As far as I know she could have been sick for _months_."

"Any changes in diet?"

"This whole week she's been eating a lot less than usual." She admitted. "I didn't think much of it; she doesn't have a set eating schedule so she eats whenever she wants to and sometimes skips meals entirely."

"Changes in her pattern of sleeping?"

"She's been staying awake more often, but I don't know why."

"Is she delusional?"

"No; Erin never gets delusional when she gets a fever. Her mind is always in the right place." Arcee said, giving Katie a quick glance. It was her cousin after all that she was reporting about.

Ratchet frowned as Arcee deactivated the image. "Are you sure this isn't a human sickness?"

Arcee glared at him. "Yes, I'm sure. Her skin's hot, she has a fever, she went completely blind, she can't eat, she has regular dry heaves, and she's coughing up blood. No, this isn't a regular human illness."

The green medic sighed and rubbed his head, a habit he had picked up from the humans. "Okay. Bring her here on my orders."

Arcee as gone before he even finished the sentence.

-

Erin leaned back in her piles of pillows, gasping for air. That last coughing fit was a killer. Her lips twitched slightly in amusement at that, groping blindly for a tissue to wipe her bloody lips and hands.

She froze when a cool hand pressed one into her shaking one. "It's just me. Arc- Nicole is coming up and Katie's waiting outside."

"Thanks." Erin croaked out, taking the tissue and wiping her hands. "What about-?"

"They're not here." Hot Rod said, watching as she turned and blinked in his direction.

"Oh."

"We'll be waiting outside." Jazz told the female as she opened the door and walked in.

"Okay." Hot Rod and Jazz winked out, and confused, Erin turned and stared in the direction of the door.

"Hey." Nicole said quietly, closing the door behind her and creeping over to the empty chair.

Erin blinked. "Hey. What was that about?"

Nicole looked away. "I – I've lied." Erin was silent, but reached out and patted her hand comfortingly. "Please don't hate me."

Erin's lips twitched. "I don't hate you. You aren't Nicole, are you? Just posing as her?" Her tone of mild curiosity reassured the other.

"That is correct. I'm sorry."

"What happened to the real Nicole, then, and why are you telling me this?"

"Well, remember at Mission City, when you and she were in that old building? Nicole was crushed beneath a few boulders just before that, and I filled in for her. I meant to stay for a little while then leave, but… I couldn't. I'm sorry."

Erin shook her head. "It is certainly unexpected, but I'm not angry. I suppose you have your reasons." She tilted her head to the side as she was apt to do when she was confused or thinking. "Are you going to leave?"

Nicole squeezed her hand. "No. I'm going to stay."

Erin blinked, trying to mask her relief. "Okay." She paused. "I'm happy." She admitted.

Nicole smiled, though Erin couldn't see it. "Me too. But right now, I'm going to take you to someone who can help you."

A dark eyebrow rose. "How are you gonna get me past Mom?"

Nicole smirked. "Katie and Jazz are distracting her. We'll be able to sneak you out quickly and quietly."

"I can't walk." Erin pointed out.

"I'll carry you." without waiting for a response, Nicole picked up the human, pile of blankets and all.

"So who are you taking me to?" Erin asked conversationally as her carrier crept down the hall.

"Someone who can help." Nicole said vaguely and laughed at the face Erin made. "He knows about what's going on with Dead End and Motormaster, so while he's checking you, you can tell us all if you have anything else to report." As she knew she would, the human brightened at that.

"So…you're not Nicole, right? So what's your real name?"

"Arcee."

"Arcee's a pretty name." tiredly and wincing at a sudden pain in her stomach, Erin rested her forehead against Arcee's cooler shoulder. "How'd you do it? I don't hear you like I do Dead End and Motormaster, and you don't smell funny."

Arcee chuckled. "I use the real Nicole's perfumes to cover the smell, and use a special filter so my temperature is warmer. Almost life-like. I'm not sure about the hearing thing, though."

"Cool." Erin said wearily, shivering when they stepped outside.

"So, lil lady. Anything new?" Jazz asked, driving carefully down the road. Katie looked worriedly back at her cousin every once in a while to make sure she was okay.

"A whole lot. Dead End and Motormaster seems to like talking in my room." Anything she was about to say disappeared into a fit of bloody coughing.

"It's okay. You can tell us later. We're nearly there."

Panting, Erin leaned back and closed her eyes. Thank God for friends and family.

* * *

**Hmm. By doing some research in the area of fevers, I learned that brain damage usually won't occur from a fever less than 107.6 degrees Farenheit. Also, untreated fevers caused by infection hardly go over 105 degrees Farenheit unless subject is overdressed or in a hot place. :)**

**Research for school: boring  
Research for stories: better than research for school ;)**


	11. Rewind?

Erin blinked, turning her head this way and that to process the noises in the base. She blinked mildly at the earthquake-like footsteps of the mechs, and the odd hiss and clanking they made as they moved about. She shifted a little on the bed they placed her on, wincing and curling up slightly as another pain shot through her stomach.

"One would think I'm in labor, the way these pains come." She muttered to herself.

'_You're not.'_

"I _know_ that." Erin rolled her sightless brown eyes.

'_I can see that, you know.'_

"Shut up." She grumbled. The voice chuckled but fell silent all the same.

"How are you feeling?" she jumped at the sudden voice, throwing an arm out to prevent her from falling. A cool hand which was almost painful on her hot skin caught her arm before she fell, helping her to sit up properly before disappearing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Erin's lips twitched from their place in her disgruntled frown. "Whether you meant it or not, you did." She grumbled. "And I am feeling rather well, in fact, despite having a very high temperature, burning skin, and no eyesight."

"My name is Ratchet – I'm a friend of Katie's."

Erin's lips twitched. "You obviously know me, so I don't need to introduce myself. So what's first on the agenda?"

"If you don't mind I would like to scan you."

Erin rolled her eyes. "Sure. Whatever."

"Just stay right there." Ratchet said when she moved to stand. Raising an eyebrow, Erin obeyed. "What's that on your knee?" he asked abruptly, startling Erin into jumping.

Automatically, Erin reached out and touched the Bluetooth resting almost innocently there, wrapping her long fingers around it almost nervously. "Bluetooth." She said simply, warily.

"May I see it? It's showing a strange reading on my scans." Dark eyes narrowed and a tan hand closed tighter around the device.

"I'd rather you not."

Ratchet was quiet for a little while. "Very well, then." He grumbled reluctantly. "I have some questions for you about your sickness that I would like you to answer for me, if you please."

"Sure." the relief in her voice made the medic suspicious and he frowned, knowing that she couldn't see his thoughtful look at the small device in her small hand.

"Okay. First question."

-

"Everyone's gone, Ditto."

'_I told you not to call me that.' _

"I know, but I like it. It's kinda cute. It's almost the same thing as your name anyways. Ditto, Rewind, whatever."

'_It _isn't_ the same thing.'_ Rewind retorted grumpily. _'Why didn't you tell Ratchet about me? I was sure you were going to.'_

Erin snorted. "Well, I panicked, really. And I thought Ratchet sounded a bit grumpy at the time, so I figured I could wait a little while before mentioning you." She hesitated. "You felt a little nervous, too, I thought, so I stalled a bit."

Rewind was quiet for a bit. _'Thanks, Erin.'_

"No problem. Now. Can you tell me where I am? I'm a little in the dark here."

Gently, she pulled the Bluetooth off her ear and placed it on the bed beside her, pulling her hand away. From the four-inch device emerged a six-inch mechanoid that looked around anxiously.

"No one is here." He reported. "By the looks of it, we're in medical, on one of the berths. Ratchet probably put us up here."

"Do you know where my bag is?"

Rewind looked around. "Beneath the bed on your left side."

"Thanks." She reached beneath the bed and weakly dragged the pack to rest on her stomach. Digging blindly through it, she pulled out her water and drank deeply.

Anxiously, Rewind watched the human. "Are you feeling okay?"

Erin made a face as she swallowed her last mouthful. "My skin's still hot, but right now my stomach's not hurting, which is a blessing in itself." She tilted her head to the side. "What's that noise?"

Rewind tuned in and didn't have time to do anything other than change back into his Bluetooth form as Erin sat up and the doors to the med-bay opened. Erin groped along the sheets and found her friend, pulling him closer to her as whoever was at the door started loudly.

"Decepticon!" Erin jumped at that, leaping to her feet in surprise. Other than a quick twitch of pain in her stomach and a slight pounding in her head, she felt fine.

"Huh?"

'_Eloquent as ever.'_ Rewind said dryly as Erin clipped him to her ear. _'I'm not sure who this is, but I'm betting on Red Alert. He's really paranoid and right now he has his blaster out and is walking over.'_

That explained the odd whirring sound and the heavy metal-on-metal _thunk_s she heard. "Don't play stupid with me." Red Alert practically growled. "I know what you are, and you are coming with me."

'_Do you think you can make it?'_ Rewind asked worriedly when Erin hesitated.

"Yeah." She said quietly, standing slowly. "Guide me?" she whispered.

'_Of course. Take five steps forward, then twelve steps left. In front of you will be a railing and stairs. Be careful, though; they're like the stairs in a ship and really steep.'_ Wordlessly Erin obeyed, walking carefully and counting each step. _'There are twenty steps total.'_ He added when Erin began climbing down.

Once down, Erin paused, putting her fist to her mouth. For a minute she stood there, coughing painfully. She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her mouth and hands.

'_Three steps right, five steps forward to his foot.'_ Erin obeyed, and now she could hear the numerous clicks and clanks Red Alert made despite not moving.

Carefully, she followed him out the door and down the hall, conscious that his weapon was still out and pointed down at her.

-

Ratchet walked into his domain with a human-sized tray of soup for Erin to eat; her stomach cramps seemed to be dying down, so he figured she would be able to stomach another meal that day. He opened the bay doors and froze. It was empty, and unless she could see, there was a rather low chance that she'd find the stairs.

While surfing the internet, he found the perfect word to sum up his mood.

"Crap."

-

Erin tripped and stumbled before catching and righting herself shakily. _'Are you okay?'_ Rewind asked anxiously in her ear as she doubled over, coughing again.

"Do I…_look_…okay?" she growled between coughs, squeezing her eyes shut and bracing herself against the wall. She moaned, clutching her stomach and sliding down to the ground.

"Get up." Red Alert growled, nudging her with his big foot.

"Screw off." Erin said weakly, leaning a cheek against the wall and curling up to ride out the pain.

"Get up!" Red Alert insisted, waving his gun irritably. "Don't make me fire." He leveled his gun at the curled up human just as Ratchet, Jazz, Bluestreak, Maggie, and Optimus came around the corner.

"Red Alert!"

"Red?"

"Red!"

"Nnnnn."

"Erin!"

"Huh?"

The air was filled with confused, angry, and pained voices for a few seconds before everyone fell silent.

Jazz leapt forward, slamming his shoulder into Red Alert and throwing him to the side. In the space provided, Ratchet knelt and picked up the shaking human gently.

"Rewind?" she whispered and surprised, Ratchet looked down at the pained, confused human in his hand. "What's going on?"

Red Alert was back on his feet faster than believed, pointing an accusing finger first at Jazz, then Erin. "Traitor! You're working with _them_! And she's sending something!"

Erin as if sensing Red Alert's lunge for her, kicked out, hitting Ratchet's finger and propelling her backwards off his palm. Surprised, Optimus who had been standing behind the medic caught the girl before she hit the ground. She impacted bruisingly with his hand and her Bluetooth popped out of its place. It began skittering across Optimus's palm and hearing it, Erin lunged for it just as it went over the edge.

With a yelp, Rewind transformed and reached upward and grabbed Erin's hand, dangling precariously over the deepening drop. Carefully, Erin pulled him up and holding him between two hands, proceeded to shake him emphatically, stomach pains forgotten. "Don't. Do. That. _Ever_. Again!" Shaking, Erin stopped shaking him to cough. "Tell them. Now."

Rewind nodded and feeling the movement from her friend, she dropped him carefully on Ratchet's hand as she was being passed over. Rewind coughed, drawing the worried looks of the other mechs. "I know you may not believe me at first, but I'm Rewind. Autobot Rewind."

Blank and surprised stares met the confession. "Primus. What happened to you?" Jazz asked.

Rewind coughed and cast a glance back at Erin who was once more curled up. "I had an accident. Shouldn't you see to her first?"


	12. Bickering

**Kinda short, this chapter. I had fun writing it, though. :)**

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Rewind patted Erin's hand, sitting on the edge of the bed and allowing his thin legs to hang over the edge. Ratchet had managed to get her to eat and drink a little before telling her to rest. For her cramps, he dipped a towel in warm water and placed it over her exposed stomach after having her roll the bottom of her shirt up. Another towel rested over her eyes and top half of her face, hanging partially over her nose but not enough to cause her to suffocate. 

"Stop being a sissy and tell them." Erin grumbled and Rewind sighed dramatically.

"So much for camaraderie."

"Don't make me pull your arm off." Was his growled reply.

"Okay, okay." He said placatingly, kicking his legs and tilting his head to look up at Ratchet, Jazz, and Bluestreak, all of which were staring down at him. Optimus was talking with Red Alert in his office. "Like all of Erin's messes, it started out at Mission City. I had landed about an hour before the big battle, but I was the only one. My first alt. mode was the real Nicole's portable CD player, but I was practically crushed when the boulder fell on her," at this, Erin glared sullenly at him…well, as well as one can glare with a cloth over their eyes. "Then suddenly, right when I'm about to join the Matrix, the Allspark picked me up and dumped me into this body."

"Then poor half-blind Erin comes his way and finds him on the side of the road." Erin muttered grouchily. "Picks him up and says 'hey, little guy. You look anorexic.'"

"I do not." Rewind grumbled.

"Do too. Your arms and legs are practically sticks. In fact, you're like an anorexic Barbie doll, only not human or female. Or plastic."

"Or stupid."

"I beg to differ."

"Says the human."

"Says the anorexic Barbie doll called Ditto."

"I told you that's not my name!"

"I know. I just like to call you that. It's cute."

"I'm not 'cute' either."

"Once more, I beg to differ."

"Says the blind girl."

"Ah. Touché."

"So are you gonna give up and rest?"

"Hell no."

"Don't make me force you."

"Says the Barbie-sized anorexic Bluetooth."

"Shut up, human."

"Or what?"

"I'll sing."

"Lord forbid we have to hear you sing. God you sing worse than I do!"

"I do not."

"If that's so, they why did you threaten to sing?"

"I meant I'll sing high."

"You can't sing for shit."

"Can too!"

"God, they're worse than the twins." Maggie muttered, rubbing her temples from her perch on Bluestreak's shoulder.

"Can not!" Erin retorted.

"Can too!"

"Prove it."

"Fine. I will." That being said, Erin adjusted herself slightly. When Rewind began to sing, she lashed out with her foot and kicked him off the bed. "Hey!"

"Ha!"

"Erin, rest now." Erin looked at Ratchet and made a face.

"Party pooper." Nonetheless she turned over on her side and curled up, adjusting the towels so they stayed in place.

"Is she sleeping already?" Maggie asked, hearing the light grumbling coming from the teenager as she was put down on the berth.

Rewind looked at her curiously. "Well, yeah. She's been staying up late a lot and it's hard to sleep when you're in pain, so when she's not she's usually asleep. If she doesn't get enough sleep, she gets hyper."

"I see." Maggie said, an eyebrow rising.

"Hey, don't look at me like that." Rewind grumbled. Then he looked up at Jazz, Bluestreak, and Ratchet, all of which were staring down at him. "Have you seen Blaster and the others?"

Jazz shook his head. "No, but we've picked up a few new signals approaching. It could be them."

Rewind looked disappointed. "Oh. Okay then."

"Why haven't you come here before?" Bluestreak asked. "I mean, it looks like you missed us, so why didn't you find us? I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard for you."

"I had no reason to. I didn't see the others, and Erin was nice."

"Everyone seems to like her." Ratchet said dryly. "Why?"

Rewind looked at the sleeping human. "I don't know, really. She just seems so vulnerable, and I feel a little bad about what happened." He frowned and looked up at Ratchet. "Did she show you the scars?"

The medic frowned. "Scars?"

The Bluetooth shook his head. "Obviously not. I'll talk to her about it later."

"What happened?" Maggie asked curiously.

Rewind looked uncomfortable. "I think it would be best if she should tell you." he admitted. "She might get mad at me if I do. It's a tender subject."

Maggie blinked. "Okay."

"You look tired yerself, Rewind, ol' buddy. You should really get some rest." Jazz suggested.

Rewind voiced what could be a sigh and climbed on the bed and curled up in the crook Erin's body made. Amused, the mechs and Maggie watched as Erin grumbled sleepily and picked up her arm and wrapping it gently around Rewind, pulled him to rest closer to her stomach.

'_Shut up; she gets nightmares.'_ Rewind growled as Jazz gave a decidedly amused snort.

'_Whatever you say, buddy.'_ He sent back.

'_Come on, you two. Let's go before we wake her up.'_ Ratchet said, giving them all pointed looks.

'_Aw, okay Ratch.'_ Bluestreak said as he picked up Maggie. _'They sure look cute together, don't they?'_

Rewind lifted his head and glared at them. _'Beat it before I wake Erin up, and you haven't seen angry until you've seen Erin or Katie without enough sleep.'_

Jazz laughed at that. _'Understood. Leaving now.'_

Grumbling Rewind settled back down, drifting pleasantly into recharge tucked against Erin's stomach.

* * *

**I know** **Rewind's acting weird, but meh I like him this way. ;)**

**Next chapter: we learn about Erin's scars, Katie learns Red tried to kill her cousin, Katie sics Snowy and the finches on Red for trying to kill her cousin (maybe ;) ), and Erin and Rewind talk a bit about their adventures.**


	13. Diagnosis

**:( I'm sorry it took so long for me to update. I had stuff to do and I had a bit of a hard time working on this chapter. . . :( But here it is. Next chapter I'll get back to the Stunticons. :)**

* * *

"What does Ratchet look like?" Erin asked Rewind who sat on her stomach.

"Between fifteen and twenty feet tall and the ugliest shade of green I've ever seen." Rewind replied. "He's a search and rescue Hummer with red markings on his sides, but other than that it's hard to describe him."

"What about Red Alert?"

"Red and white, around fifteen feet tall."

"Arcee?"

"I haven't seen her without her hologram." Rewind admitted. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

Rewind hesitated. "Erin, you should show them your scars." Dark eyebrows rose at that.

"Why do you think?" she asked mildly.

"I think it has to do with what happened and why you're sick."

"Your theory about the scars and the fact that they creep you out?"

"That too."

Despite being blind, Erin wasn't stupid, Rewind knew; just because she said nothing didn't necessarily mean she _knew_ nothing. She patted his head gently, and turned her head toward the doors as they opened.

"The ugliest shade of green, you say?" Erin asked, tilting her head slightly toward Rewind.

"Most certainly. Jazz is here, too, with Katie and Snowy. Jazz is smaller than Ratchet, and silver."

"Hey, Erin." Katie said, walking over. "How are you feeling?"

"Hey, Katie. Do you think you can help me up? I'm a bit stuck." Katie looked at her cousin, amused but helped her up nonetheless. "Ow. I think I bruised my back. What do you think, Rewind?"

Rewind picked up the back hem of her shirt. "I concur."

Katie's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

Erin smiled angelically. "Nothing much." Snowy hopped up on the bed and rubbed his face against Erin's hand, begging to be petted. With a laugh, she complied, stroking his ears and whiskers. "Red Alert overreacted a bit."

"A bit?" Ratchet growled. "He dragged you halfway across the base!"

"Really?" Katie asked calmly, eyes slitted angrily. "I'll have to have a talk with him, then."

Erin's lips twitched though they were unable to stretch in a larger grin than the one she wore. "Don't kill him, though."

Katie grinned. "Oh, I won't." she wrapped an arm around her cousin's shoulder.

"I don't know if you two met already, but Katie, this is Rewind." Erin said belatedly as Ratchet set down the small tray he was carrying.

"Hello, Rewind." Rewind's big blue optics blinked and he scampered over to shake her hand after a blind glare from Erin.

"Show them." the Bluetooth said, turning and poking Erin gently in the knee.

Erin sighed and reached up to unbutton her shirt. "Only if you tell me your theory."

Rewind snorted. "Fine, fine." To the curious bystanders, he explained. "I want Erin to show you guys the scars she got from Mission City. I haven't told her my theory about her sickness yet, because I didn't have enough information to know if it was plausible or not."

He watched as Erin shrugged out of her flannel shirt, and pulled gently on the collar of her tank-top, revealing a scarred section of her chest over her heart. Surprised, Ratchet and Jazz knelt down to look closer at the scars.

Over her heart was a section of pale speckles with a tiny bluish tinge to them. Katie as well leaned closer to peer at the discolored section of revealed skin. Gently, she reached out and touched one of the larger speckles, causing Erin to jump in surprise.

"Sorry." Katie murmured. "How did you get them?"

Erin tilted her head to look in Rewind's direction. "Tell them." the Bluetooth coaxed.

"Mission City. Mom, Nicole and I were going to visit Jorge. Whatever happened, happened when we were walking down the street just before dinner. In the panic, we got separated. Jorge was with Mom, and Nicole and I are together." As she sifted through her memory, her voice became dispassionate and empty, as if she wasn't completely there; her blind eyes lost focus and her hand relaxed. "There was smoke and grit everywhere." She gave a short, derisive laugh. "I was gray in seconds."

"Wait," Katie said gently. Blinking, Erin allowed her hand to drop. "Sam and Mikaela are coming; they were at Mission City as well, and can help explain a bit."

Erin blinked. "Okay."

Anxiously, Erin shifted until she heard another mech walk in and put down two humans whose steps clicked against the metal table.

"Erin, Rewind, this is Mikaela and Sam. Sam, Mikaela, this is Erin and Rewind. Erin's my cousin, by the way." Katie gave a pointed look at them which Mikaela quickly picked up on.

"Hi." Sam said politely, reaching out a hand for Erin to shake. Erin nodded solemnly at both of them and Rewind transformed, slipping into her hand. "Well, okay then. Jeez." Sam muttered and Erin looked down. Rewind grumbled as she clipped him to her ear, but fell silent when she tapped his side gently.

"Please continue, Erin," Ratchet said and she nodded.

'_Bumblebee is to your right. He brought Sam and Mikaela. He's a little taller than Jazz, and bright yellow and black.'_

"Nicole and I were running. I was wearing a backpack and I had her purse in it." Erin gave a wry laugh. "In all the panic I didn't think to take it off. Nicole wanted me to go ahead because I'm a sprinter, but I stayed behind with her. Secretly, I think she was happy. Very soon after that, we were all alone. I could hear the fighting going on, the bullets and such. We slowed down after that. We heard no screams and nothing approaching so we slowed down.

"We crept along the streets and alleys, trying to get as far away from the sounds of battle as possible, but it only drew us closer. A jet flew overhead and hit the top of a building nearby. It fell. Nicole pushed me away and the debris fell between us. According to Arcee, it also fell on her." Erin's eyes shifted to look at her knees. "I didn't know what hit me. One second we were in that alley, and the next I was flying into the street. My backpack went flying off and spilled everything everywhere, including Nicole's original CD player.

"I don't know what I was thinking, but I picked up my bag and kept running. I was running blindly by then." Erin's lips twitched. "Not literally, of course. Not yet." Katie patted her shoulder, but allowed her to continue. "I tripped and once more, my bag went flying. Rewind had climbed into my bag posing as Nicole's CD player and now he skittered across the torn asphalt. When he stopped, a chunk of mortar fell from a building nearby and rolled across him. I was about to start running again, and Arcee tackled me from behind. Another chunk of mortar had fallen, and she sent me flying, falling on Rewind. Arcee rolled off me but the weight she had used to push me down had caused the jagged edges of metal to cut into my chest. Of course, I was so pumped on adrenaline at the time that I didn't notice it.

"I remember seeing a boy. He was running toward me, with who I guess is Ratchet, and a black robot-"

'_Mech,'_ Rewind corrected. _'From what Ratchet told me while you were asleep, it must be Ironhide.'_

"Sorry, Ironhide, running toward me." she amended graciously. "I don't remember much, but I do remember that I thought it was strange that he was running from Ratchet and Ironhide, when they could easily outrun him. I guess they were protecting him or something."

"What did he look like?" Katie asked, casting a glance at Sam.

"Uh, dark hair, brown sweater. That's about all I remember." Erin tilted her head to the side. "He was carrying a box. A gray box, with funny shapes on it."

"Like this?" Sam asked, tracing a swirled pattern in the air.

Erin turned to look in his direction curiously. She blinked curiously, unsure. Katie grabbed her wrist and mimicked the motion Sam made. She blinked again. "Yes, that's one of them, I think."

"Did he look like Sam?" Mikaela asked, pointing at her boyfriend. Erin blinked in her direction – she didn't quite meet her eyes – and looked down.

"I don't know." She said faintly.

Mikaela got the idea. "Oh. Sorry."

Erin smiled shakily. "It's all right." She frowned. "He tripped and fell. The box flew through the air and landed nearby. I don't know, this sort of light flew out in all directions. One hit a soda dispenser, another a car, a third a box of electronics. The last one came right at me. It hit Rewind while he was still partially embedded in me." Unconsciously, she reached up and rubbed the scarred section of her chest. "It hurt," she added.

"What about after that?" Ratchet asked.

"One of your reports said that you and Nicole were hiding in a building." Katie added.

Erin's lips twitched. "We got up and started running. Ran into a building nearby and hunkered down. Jorge – the real Jorge – found us, but a second later he was killed." She finished bitterly.

"You were there?" Erin jumped at Bumblebee's voice, sounding unexpectedly at her right.

Erin turned and looked in his direction. "Yes, I was. I just said that, did I not?" she tilted her head to the side. "Are you going to tell me your theory, now?"

Rewind gave a theatrical sigh in her ear. '_If I must._'

Erin made a face. "You promised."

Her friend chuckled. _'That I did. Very well, then.'_ He scampered down her shoulder and arm to rest in her lap. "Erin, can you describe Nicole's old CD player?"

The girl blinked. "Circular, flat, dark blue, metal. Why?"

"The Allspark's energy, once it hit metal, traveled like electricity." Rewind explained. "It didn't affect humans because their skin kept it out for the most part,"

"But when Erin had shards of you in her, it traveled into _her_." Ratchet finished grimly.

"I _assume_ that is the case, but to see if it's true, I think you'll have to take her blood, and not the stuff she's been coughing up." Rewind put a hand on Erin's. "Remember that shard of metal you found?"

"Of course."

"Where is it?"

"I have it." Katie said, rummaging in her bag. Carefully, she pulled it out and handed it to Rewind who gently pressed it into Erin's hand.

"Careful of the edges, Erin."

"What do you want me to do with this?" she asked mildly, running her fingers gently over it. She paused at the beginning (or end, it was hard to tell) of an engraved design.

"Nothing. How do you feel?"

Erin frowned speculatively. "Like I can run my hurdles again." She said humorlessly. "Of course I'd probably trip over all of them, run into a few people in the process, slice myself up with my own spikes, and run through the shot-put pits, but oh well."

"I have a human-sized needle right here." Ratchet said, walking closer and kneeling to be eye-to-optic with Erin. Activating his hologram, he picked up the small needle and walked over, stepping loudly so she knew where he was. He put a cool hand on her shoulder at the base of her neck, thumb over her collarbone. Surprised, he paused. "Your temperature has gone down."

"I noticed that when she found the shard, she was fine, but when she was away from it, she got very sick." Rewind said helpfully. "When she gave the shard away, she had a cold – which was why she felt all funny, but the cold continued and changed a bit when the shard didn't come back."

"Hold still now, Erin." She stiffened slightly in anticipation of the needle, but obligingly held still, save for the tiniest twitches as the needle punctured her chest and sucked in a breath as Ratchet began to take her blood.

"Interesting." Rewind said, climbing on her other shoulder to lean over and peer at the needle.

"What is it?" Erin asked, turning her head to look in his direction.

"Your blood!" this was Sam, she remembered. Erin frowned thoughtfully. "How can you not see it? It's friggin' glowing! Bright enough only a blind person wouldn't see it."

"Sam," Katie growled in warning, but the damage was done and Erin dropped her head. Despite being half-blind for a year and completely blind for a few days, she was still very touchy about it.

"Hold still!" Ratchet grumbled and surprised, she jumped. Quickly, he pulled the needle and small vial full of blood out and away from her as she curled up. Then her eyes hardened and slowly, she stood.

"Where are you, Sam?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"Right where I was the last time you looked at me." he grumbled.

"Turn a little to your left and take two steps forward. On your left is Mikaela and on your right is Sam." Rewind said helpfully and she obeyed. Slowly, she reached out and felt his hair. With her other hand curled in a fist, she slammed it hard into his face.

With a pained yelp, he fell over backwards, leaping up quickly. With a roar, he leapt at her, but before Snowy or Katie could come to her defense, Erin had cocked a leg up and kicked him hard in his stomach. As Sam doubled over, she spun and kicked his feet from under him and pressed her foot on his chest.

She opened her eyes which were now dark and hard and angry. "Well, Sam, you just got beaten by a blind girl. Just so you know." She turned and looked calmly at Ratchet's hologram, who she heard buzzing and fizzing nearby. "Care for a description?"

"Of Sam's bloody nose or the blood?" the medic asked dryly, and Erin's lips twitched.

"My blood, if you please. I'm a bit in the dark."

"Well, for one it's almost glowing as Sam has so eloquently said, but it also has a sort of pinkish tinge to it. It does not match your body temperature, but other than that I'm not sure of its properties. I'll have to examine it closer." Ratchet replied, swishing the liquid in the vial. "While I do, I recommend that you rest."

The girl smiled slightly. "As you wish. I am getting a bit tired; dealing with weenies does that to me."

With Katie's help, she found the bed again and was asleep in minutes. Rewind was perched on the edge of her bed, looking up at them as if unsure.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you two sleep together?" Ratchet asked, looking down at the doll-sized Autobot.

Rewind shrugged. "We're both haunted by what happened at Mission City, and Erin told me once that whenever she had nightmares, she'd listen to something beating, like a heartbeat. Sometimes she put a clock under her pillow to mimic a heartbeat if it gets bad enough and she can't find any other substitute. Or if that doesn't work, she keeps the clock under her pillow and curls around a stuffed animal or something." He chuckled. "Something about the muffled clicking (or beating) and something against her stomach makes her go to sleep real fast."

"Like a puppy?" Jazz asked humorously.

Rewind chuckled. "Just like a puppy. Now if you excuse me," with that, he wriggled into place, slipping into his recharge cycle as Erin's hand wrapped loosely around him and pulled him to her stomach.

-

Alone save for Snowy who trotted beside her, tail held high and green eyes direct, Katie stalked the hallways. Hands jammed in the pockets of her windbreaker – it was rather cold in the base – she searched for one mech in particular.

Snowy's ears flicked and he stopped at the corner of a corridor, peeking over the edge. Following her cat's lead, she peeked around the corner and found Hot Rod and Armonie standing there, side by side. The older woman, seeing her, flashed an angelic smile that was somehow also fairly demonic. She could practically see the devil horns poking out of her straight black hair, gently tapping the edges of her skewed golden halo. Hot Rod wasn't far off.

"Jazz drafted us to help." He explained. "Army here has an idea, and we've already got everything together and all we need is you."

Like her cousin was fond of doing (even if it was unconscious), she felt her lips twitch in amusement. "What do you have in mind?"

-

Red Alert hated his life at the moment. One: his head ached from the wrench Ratchet threw at him, two: he had his weapons disabled because he dragged Ratchet's patient across the base, and three: the twins had locked him out of his office, which was why he was currently walking to Wheeljack's lab.

Something made him pause. An instinct, if you will. Or was it the big black X painted on the ground.

Head swimming, he stopped a moment to look at it, not realizing until a moment later until he had stepped right into a trap.

_PshtThap!_

Surprised, he whirled around, only to get an opticful of…neon orange.

_PshtThap! PshtThap! PshtThap! PshtThap! PshtThap! PshtThap! _

Roaring, he whirled around…to find no one there. The barrage continued, splattering him with tiny dots of neon orange and vivid, neon green.

At last, the firing – for that's what he realized it was – slowed to a stop, and he turned to assess where the shorts came from. Then the vent in front and above him shook then pulled inward, turning to reveal the open duct.

"Decepticon spy!" he roared, reaching for the vent.

"MRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" the battle cry of a large house cat echoed in the ducts and hallway, and a dark gray, white and black blur shot out of the duct and sped down his arm to leap at his face.

He didn't have a chance to do anything more than scream and roar in anger as tiny but sharp claws latched on to his helmet, digging small grooves into the metal as gravity pulled the creature down. Snowy fell toward the ground but shot out a claw and caught Red's arm as it came up belatedly to swat him away.

Still screaming his battle cry, he propelled himself up and swiped at Red's optics before scampering down his leg and to the floor. There, he raced away.

Cycling air fast from the energy rush, Red Alert turned his attention back to the open duct. Stupidly he peered in. On the inside of the duct, someone had managed to embed to short poles connected to a stretched black rope which disappeared further into the duct. When the "rope" twitched, and stretched, Red Alert realized that it wasn't rope – it was elastic. He followed the black elastic into the vent and stopped optics wide.

There, further inside the duct was Katie and Jazz's hologram. Katie held the end of the big piece of elastic in her hands, and Jazz had wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her in place. In the other hand he gently pressed a large plastic bag of oh-my-god-my-eyes!!-they-_burn_ pink into the fabric pouch in the curved end of the elastic loop.

"Heya, Red!" he called cheerfully with a golden-eyed wink. At some unseen signal he let go of the bag as Katie released the elastic.

Prime had just turned the corner as the bag zoomed out of the duct and impacted with Red Alert's face with a great _PLAP!!_

With wet plops, excess paint trickled down his shaking frame to land on the floor. He took in the bright orange and neon speckles covering Red Alert's body, the small claw marks in his helm and painted paw prints over slabs of armor, then the screamingly bright pink paint dripping from his head and face.

He coughed, drawing the security director's attention. Holding up a hand, he stopped the tirade before it began. "A word to the wise: don't tick Katie off." Turning on his heel, he left the stunned mech standing there.

* * *

**True story. I can't sleep without either something against my stomach or to hear some sort of steady, repetitive noise like the AC or clock near my bed. :) When I was young and had nightmares I'd climb on my mom and put my ear on her chest so I could hear her heartbeat.**

**I read somewhere that when you get a rather young puppy you're supposed to make a sort of little packet for them to sleep with consisting of a hot water bottle, a cloth, and a clock or something that clicks. It's supposed to be like their mothers or something like that. :)**


	14. Talk

**I am sooooo sorry for not updating earlier. I just finished the chapter tonight, and this entire week I've been busy. TwT **

* * *

'_Jordan and Prowl have just walked in,'_ Rewind reported, waking his half-asleep-from-boredom friend. _'Prowl's taller than Jazz and a little taller than Bumblebee. He's a police car, so he's black and white._' 

Erin yawned and stretched, careful to not stretch enough to make her back hurt too much. "Thanks, Rewind." She said drowsily, turning her head toward the direction of who she assumed was Prowl, tilting her head to the side curiously.

"Hey, Erin," Jordan called, walking over. Judging by the other sounds around the police officer, Erin concluded that she had something in her hands that crinkled and made all sorts of sounds. "Mind if I sit down? You must be awfully bored."

Without waiting for a reply, Jordan hooked a leg around the chair nearby and dragged it over as Prowl appeared nearby. Erin cracked a small smile. "I am, usually. I can't read, can't play a lot of games, and hardly anyone visits me, so it's usually just Rewind keeping me company." The Bluetooth transformed and moved to perch on her shoulder, something he was fond of doing nowadays.

"Well, as bad as it sounds, I'm glad. Optimus – the guy in charge here – asked me and Prowl to get to the bottom of what's going on with the Stunticons." Jordan told the girl, finding a table and spreading the papers out.

"Stunticons?" Erin echoed, hackles rising.

"Motormaster and Dead End are a part of them." Prowl explained. "They're a combiner team."

The young adult sat on the cot, hands clenched in her lap. "I'll do whatever I can to help."

Jordan rubbed her eyes. "Good. I was hoping you'd say that. What can you tell us?"

"They talked a lot about cars." Erin said after a moment of thought. "Auto this, auto that, then mega-something."

"Autobot?" Prowl asked as he took notes.

Erin frowned. "Yeah, something like that. Then there was other stuff." She turned her head toward Rewind. "Can you replay some of it?"

Rewind scampered down her chest and sat in her lap. A grainy recording began to play, and Prowl and Jordan leaned closer to hear better.

"_What if the Autobots want this one? You know how fond they are of the humans."_ Erin shivered slightly at Dead End's odd voice, but fell still to listen.

"_There are precautions that are ready but merely need to be put in place." _The low, grating voice of Motormaster sent another shiver down Erin's spine. Jordan patted Erin's hand and she smiled shakily at them. _"However, I doubt the girl has anything to do with the Autobots."_ A pause. _"I, too sense that this human girl has something important to her."_

"_Have you touched her? She tingles."_

Silence for a minute. _"How strange. Keep an eye on her but don't attract too much attention or suspicion."_

"_Yes, sir."_

The feed ended with a click.

"They know, then." Erin said dully and Rewind hugged her stomach. She sighed and shook her head. "I suppose that's bad, then. Did Ratchet tell you about my blood?"

"No, I don't believe so," Prowl said with a slight frown and Erin sighed.

"Ratchet drew my blood yesterday. He said it had some unusual properties that he wanted to investigate. I'm afraid that's all I know, so you'd have to ask Ratchet for a more detailed description when he gets back from wherever he is." Erin said apologetically.

"What worries me is what they were planning to do with you." Jordan said, leaning back in her chair with a slight frown.

"Why do they even want me?" Erin asked bitterly. "I mean, I'm blind, the last time they saw me I could hardly move, and they supposed I wasn't with the Autobots, whoever they are."

Jordan and Prowl traded looks, but said nothing. "Well, that's what we want to figure out."

"Maybe it has to do with your scars," Rewind suggested, drawing Erin's blind gaze. Unconsciously, her hand rose to touch the spot over her chest where her scar rested.

Rewind frowned and clambered up and rested his head against her chest over her heart after gently tugging her hand away. "It sounds funny." He said, earning a confused look from Prowl, Jordan, and Erin. He played what he heard, turning up the volume so they could hear it.

The loudest sound was the steady _thump-thump, thump-thump_ of her heart beating steadily. Like the sound of a wave crashing on the shore, but a lot softer was the sound of her breathing, the oxygen traveling through the passages in her throat and chest. Somewhere between the two in pitch and volume was a sort of crackling sound, like static.

"That is rather unusual." Prowl admitted. "I've never heard of anything like that."

Rewind cut the sound and climbed back down to sit on Erin's knee. "We'll probably have to ask Ratchet about that. That is definitely not normal."

Erin snorted. "Neither is the color of my blood, if you care to recall." About to say something else, she snapped her mouth shut when the doors to the med-bay opened and a new, heavier set of footfalls echoed in the near-silence.

"Hello, Optimus," Prowl greeted politely.

"Hello, Prowl. Jordan, Erin." The massive leader greeted back, making his way toward the berth they were on.

"Hello," Erin said a bit faintly as Jordan nodded back, looking back anxiously at the teen and noting the slight pallid cast to her face.

"Do I need to tell you how massive he is?" Rewind asked her dryly, climbing up to whisper in her ear. Erin gave the tiniest shake of her head. "He's blue with red flames on it," he added as an afterthought, and Erin's lips twitched in amusement.

"Do you mind if I have a word with you in my office, Miss Erin?" Optimus asked politely. "I would like to discuss a few things with you in private."

Mutely, she nodded and stood, waiting patiently as Rewind arranged himself on her shoulder. The Bluetooth hesitated then leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Do you think you'll be okay alone? That way I can stay and fill Prowl and Jordan in, and you can talk with him." After a pause, Erin nodded and with a gentle pat on her shoulder, Rewind climbed down her side and onto the table Jordan and Prowl were using.

At her hesitant nod, Optimus reached over and gently picked her up, cradling her in his right hand and walking out. He looked down at her and noticed that her hands were in fists, resting on the top of his fingers and she was biting her lip anxiously. "Don't worry: I won't drop you." Her head turned toward him at that, and the girl gave a nervous smile.

"I know, but believing that – no offense – is a _totally_ different thing, especially when you're acrophobic." She said shakily and Optimus chuckled.

"None taken. Here we are, my office." The door hissed open and gently, he placed her on his desk while he went to take a seat himself. "I hope you don't mind; I don't have any human-sized furniture at the moment." He added, noting that she looked around and shifted anxiously.

Erin smiled. "No, it's okay. I don't mind at all." She said, somewhat relieved and sat down carefully. Optimus watched as she knelt slowly and felt for the cool metal of his desk before shifting to sit on her buttocks, folding her legs in front of her and resting her hands on them.

"Now, Miss Erin –"

"Please just call me Erin," the girl interrupted, and Optimus nodded politely back.

"Erin, can you tell me a bit about yourself and how you came to the base?"

The girl bit her lip and looked down. After a moment's hesitation, she launched into a retelling of her story starting from the Mission City incident and the scar on her chest – which Optimus asked to see – and on to how she ended up in the base.

"So how do you feel now?" Optimus asked curiously and Erin, having lost some of her fear of her head, tilted her head to the side.

"I feel fine, thanks. Katie had Ratchet break off a piece. She put it in a pouch on a necklace so I won't be in pain until they can figure out a way to separate me from the shard without any ill effects." Erin explained, reaching in her shirt and tugging on the leather thong around her neck and showing the big Autobot the small pouch before tucking it back under her shirt.

"How did you manage it before?" Optimus asked curiously. "You only started reacting to it a little while ago," he pointed out.

Erin shrugged. "Rewind thinks that it's because I actually came in contact with it and then whatever is wrong with me reacted to it. Other than that, I'm not sure; he kinda started rambling and I kinda started spacing out." She added somewhat ruefully.

There was a crash and a roar from somewhere down the hall that echoed through the thin door. Optimus sighed. "I'm sorry, Erin, but I need to find out what the twins did to Ratchet this time."

Erin smiled slightly. "It's perfectly okay. I understand they enjoy making trouble, no?"

Optimus rolled his optics. "Too much trouble." Gently, he scooped her into his palm and carried her to the door, depositing her in the hallway as she squawked her distress. "If you turn take the first right and go straight down the hallway, you'll be back at the med-bay," he told the human and with a quick nod, trotted off to find what the ruckus was about.

Erin snorted to herself as she stood carefully, dusting her backside off. "I guess someone didn't tell him I'm blind," she grumbled. Hesitantly, she took a few steps forward, feet sweeping in front of her to avoid tripping and hands out to avoid running into anything. For quite a few steps she didn't hit anything; she couldn't even find the wall no matter which direction she wandered in.

In frustration, she lashed out with her foot and swore vehemently when it connected with something large and metal. Still swearing, she lifted her foot and rubbed it, trying to ease the pain.

"Hey, Army," an unfamiliar voice called cheerfully as growling, Erin sat down to rub her smarting foot.

"Blades, I don't think that's Army," another voice said and Erin paused long enough to listen and find out exactly how many mechs were around her. To her inexperienced ear, there were four or five circled around her, judging by the sounds she heard. A moment later she yelped as she was picked up and dangled from two large metal digits around her middle. She flailed instinctively and slipped, falling a few feet to land roughly on a warm metal palm cupped to catch her gently.

Rubbing her sore shoulder which she had landed on, Erin cursed under her breath and looked around blindly, the first stages of icy fear that came from her mild case of acrophobia creeping into her chest. She moved to kneel on the hand(s?) and swung her hands out to find the large metal fingers so she could hold on to them with white knuckles.

"I think it's blind," her carrier commented; she could hear the voice behind her and feel it resonating through the metal beneath her.

"Nah, I don't think so, First Aid. Lookit 'er eyes: they ain't all misty, you know?" Another said from somewhere to her right.

Her chest constricted and with a start, she realized that it wasn't from acrophobia. Her hand shot to her throat and chest where she felt around for the necklace that wasn't there.

"Hey, are you okay?" her carrier asked, lifting her slowly. She cried out and clutched her chest. Her face started to heat, and beads of sweat dotted her forehead and edged down her neck to her back.

"No," Erin hissed through the sudden pain in her stomach. "Where's my necklace?" she growled, doubling over. The hand waved as its owner looked around.

"Here." The adolescent female moaned at the sudden drop then quick rise and panted for a moment before reaching out blindly for the necklace that was sort of…calling her. She felt a tugging in her chest that guided her hand to the left and higher; following the tugging, her fingers touched the leather pouch in a few seconds. Quickly, she pulled it to her chest and over her head, tucking it under her shirt.

Taking a few deep breaths now that the pains were gone, she sat back on the hand. "Thanks," she said weakly, aware that her shirt was sticking to her body.

Anything her carrier was about to say was interrupted as a roar echoed from somewhere down the hall once more. With it were unintelligible threats and a great deal of stomping.

"I wonder what's got Ratchet so miffed," another voice of the five around her commented.

"Let's go see," the first one suggested, and the hand Erin rested on shook slightly.

"You must have a death wish," her carrier said with rueful amusement. "What's your name?" he asked as he began to walk down the hall.

"Erin," she said slowly. He ground to a stop.

"Hey, Ratchet," her carrier said slowly, and listening, Erin heard the faint sounds she had come to associate with the medic. "Is something wrong?"

Erin yelped as she was abruptly snatched from whoever was holding her and cradled in another large, metal hand. "Where have you been?" he roared at her, and surprised, she curled in a ball. "I've been looking all over for you; your cousin's been pestering me and screaming at me 'cause I left for five minute and came back to find that you've disappeared!"

Growling at her (she finally figured out that he was only afraid of what might have happened to her and uncurled from her ball of fear), he carried her back to the med-bay, completely ignoring her unintentional saviors.

"Sorry, Ratchet," Erin said, trying to sound as contrite as she could. "I didn't mean to wander off, but Optimus wanted to talk to me, and something happened and he just put me outside his door and told me to find my way back," she explained. "I really didn't mean to wander off."

Ratchet sighed. "You really scared me there." He told her quietly. "Please try not to do that again."

Erin smiled. "I promise I won't. I'll have Rewind call you or something if I do."

-

Erin was bored. Rewind was talking with Prowl and Jordan in their room, leaving her alone in Ratchet's domain. The medic himself had been letting her explore his safer tools with her hands. He had left her to it, running off when he was called to help someone named Wheeljack salvage his lab and stabilize whoever was unlucky enough to be his assistant. He had also left the rest of the metal shard whose piece was in her necklace.

Fingers spread, she groped blindly for something to occupy her and by chance managed to find the strange shard. Pulling it toward her, she explored it with her fingers. It was now shaped similar to a long kitchen knife; the triangular shard taken from it had jutted out of the side.

Holding it in her hands, a strange tune crept into her head and bored, she found herself beginning to hum it. Her tight muscles relaxed and her sightless eyes closed; the frown that marred her pretty face smoothed out. Thoroughly in a trance, she lifted the shard, and feeling the cool metal on her fingers, she held it like a knife and rested the tip on the bridge of her nose.

Humming the haunting tune, she sliced easily through part of the fabric over her chest and rubbed a gentle hand over the slightly raised scar. Haunting tune echoing in the room, she raised the shard again to her chest and rested the sharp tip against the skin over her heart. With her other hand she reached out and grabbed her empty bowl. Holding the bowl beneath the shard, she pressed with her other hand. Blood welled from the cut and slid into the bowl, glowing slightly.

Of course, Erin couldn't see it, and now, humming the haunting tune, she felt nothing, either. She continued to cut.

* * *

**-.- No, she's not emo. She's in a trance. In fact, I don't think she even knows what's going on.**


	15. Mei

**:) Happy Halloween!**

* * *

Grumbling, Ratchet stalked back to the med-bay, Katie, Jordan, Snowy, Prowl, and Jazz on his heels. They had all found each other on the way to visit Erin and slowed or quickened their pace to walk with each other. 

A six-inch silver blur shot around the corner, skidding on the smooth metal and quickly righting itself with a stick-thin arm. Surprised, Snowy fluffed out his fur and arched his back, but relaxed when he recognized the Barbie-sized skater as Rewind.

Ratchet frowned at Rewind. "If you continue to speed around the corner like that, someone _will_ step on you," he grumped as the Bluetooth skidded to a halt at his feet.

"Frag that," Rewind snapped. "Something's wrong with Erin!"

"What?" Ratchet demanded, but it was too late; Katie, Snowy, Jordan, and Rewind had already dashed off down the hall. Cursing, Ratchet followed, easily passing them and skidding into the med-bay, freezing at what he saw.

Erin paused and turned her head to look at Ratchet as she heard the door open, but continued on her way, moving blindly along. One had was covered in pinkish blood and held her soup bowl which was filled to the brim with more of her blood. More dripped down her front, staining her red tank top an odd brownish color. Despite the large amount of space in the med-bay, a haunting tune echoed in every corner and with a start, Ratchet realized that it was coming from Erin.

"Mrrrt." Ratchet looked to the side and found Snowy on the berth, creamy belly pressed to the metal, ears flat and green eyes wide. Nothing would persuade him to budge, the green medic saw as Katie tried to pick him up.

As he watched, Erin walked toward the prone form of Smokescreen, who had been ambushed with Bluestreak by Starscream and Thundercracker, both of which had managed to survive the destruction of the state park which they had made their base. Seeing that she was on course to hit one of his tools and possibly trip, he stepped forward to pick her up.

Erin paused and looked over at him. "I know it's there," she said quietly. Ratchet frowned; her voice was strange, its tone rising and falling to the time of the strange tune she was humming. She moved her other hand to cup the bowl with both hands, climbing carefully on to Smokescreen's chest.

Ratchet had stabilized the newcomer, but hadn't welded the wounds shut. Smokescreen was in stasis lock, recovering from his severe loss of fluids. Bluestreak, despite losing less fluid than Smokescreen, was in stasis lock for the same reason.

Erin sat easily on Smokescreen's hips, cradling the bloody bowl in her hands, the haunting tune continuing to thrum through her diaphragm.

"Erin," Katie called, running over to her cousin who turned her head to look down at her. The younger girl tilted her head to the side curiously but otherwise ignored the older woman.

Dipping her hands into her blood and covering it, she smoothed it over the sharp planes of metal beneath her. To everyone's surprise, the metal melded and moved together like clay beneath her bloody hands, merging seamlessly together. Moving to the next wound, she did the same. Then she slid toward his face and with a finger and an artists' precision, she painted a strange symbol on his face and climbed off.

She paused slightly at the edge of the berth and scrambled down, somehow managing to carry her bowl without spilling anything, or getting any of her pink blood all over the place. Finding his courage, Jazz picked Erin up and put her on the berth next to Bluestreak. Nodding her thanks, she did the same thing to Bluestreak that she did to Smokescreen and climbed back off.

She paused before she stepped on a laser scalpel, shifting her step to the side and continuing to walk toward the edge of the berth. There, she sat at the edge, letting her legs hang over, placing the bowl in her lap.

Her dark eyes fluttered, and the haunting tune stuttered and died in her throat. Almost immediately, she tensed up, hands clenching and shoulders rising and tensing. As if lost, her hand rose and touched the lacerated area over her chest. She looked down at her bloody hand, then at the bowl filled high with her blood.

Slowly, her head rose to look toward them. "I'm tired," she slurred as she swayed unsteadily.

"What the heck were you doing?" Ratchet growled, picking her up gently, belying the anger in his voice.

Blindly, Erin looked up at him and blinked uncertainly. "She said to trust her, so I did." She said, blinking as if it were obvious. "Where'd she go?"

"Where'd who go?" Jazz asked, and Erin blinked again.

She looked around, more of a reflexive gesture than actually looking around, Ratchet noted, and frowned slightly. "Mei. She said I could call her Mei if I wanted to." She yawned and her eyes fluttered as Ratchet placed her back on her cot. "I'm tired."

"You should sleep, then," Katie said gently, taking the bowl from her hands.

Erin yawned again. "Okay, Katie." Ignoring (or not noticing) the blood on her body, she curled up on the cot and was asleep in seconds.

Casting worried glances at the others in the room, Prowl jerked his head toward the door and nodding, Jazz picked Katie, Snowy, and Jordan up and followed him outside; Ratchet went to check on Smokescreen and Bluestreak, and Rewind went to perch on the edge of Erin's cot, watching his friend sleep.

-

Briefly, Erin woke up a few hours later, and Ratchet told her to sleep until she couldn't sleep anymore. With a lethargic nod, Erin went back to sleep.

If one says "sleep yourself out" to a teenager, they usually end up waiting for said teenager to wake up sometime in the afternoon. If one said the same thing to Erin, she'd wake up no later than nine in the morning. However, there were exceptions, and this was one of them.

Ratchet expected to deal with his teenage charge at around lunch time, so when he came bringing her lunch he was mightily surprised to find that she was still asleep. Rewind was still perched on the edge of the bed, deep in recharge.

To hide his worry, he set about cleaning the pink blood from everything, including parts of Erin herself. He would have bandaged her chest, but he would need to take off her shirt and he knew from experience that she wouldn't take too well to that when she woke up.

Using his hologram, he carefully peeled away part of her tank top and gently wiped away some of the dried gore and paused. There was no wound there anymore, only raised scars with a slight bluish tinge, more so than the ones she had gotten from Mission City. Frowning, he tilted his head and adjusted the angle of his gaze. His frown deepened as he noticed that the sharp cuts in the skin had a purpose: in Cybertronian, they spelled out "innocent until proven guilty".

Shaking his head – it was something he'd have to press Erin about later – he finished cleaning without being too invasive, and went to check up on his other patients.

-

Two days straight, Erin slept. Oh, once every seven or eight hours she'd sit up and look around as if lost, then flop bonelessly back into bed. According to his scans, she wasn't awake during those odd moments, but on occasion she did respond to her name, turning to look at him and blink a few times before falling back to her heap of pillows and bunched up blankets.

So when Ratchet walked into the med-bay on the third morning, he wasn't too surprised to find Erin sitting up and blinking lethargically. However, this time her legs were over the edge of the bed, and she held the recharging form of Rewind in her lap. She turned and blinked curiously when she heard Ratchet's footsteps, and frowned slightly.

"What day is today?" she asked abruptly.

Startled – he didn't think she was awake when he walked in – Ratchet paused and processed the question. "Wednesday," he replied.

"Oh," she seemed to think about that. "In two days – on Friday – there will be an attack," she said tiredly, rubbing her eyes with a balled fist. "I really slept that long?"

"Yes, you did, and I'm sure it was just a dream," Erin shook her head vehemently at that.

"No, it wasn't, Ratchet. Motormaster and Dead End were there, and three others. They drove through the gate in the back near the cliffs, and blasted a hole through the wall." She said in a matter-of-fact but grave tone.

Ratchet looked at her with a slight frown. "Dreams can sometimes seem very real, Erin," he said gently and Erin sighed, closing her dark eyes.

"I'll get cleaned up, then. Whether or not it was a dream, I still need to see Optimus." Gently putting Rewind on a blood-less portion of the cot, she walked unerringly toward the stairs and climbed down and toward the human-sized showers nearby.

The teenage emerged half an hour later, her long black hair clean, wetting the back of the T-shirt she wore in place of her other, dirtier clothes. Yawning, she paused at the beginning of the steep stairs, turning to look in Ratchet's direction as he began to put away his tools. "Leave your laser scalpel, tongs, and arc welder out," she said abruptly. "Bumblebee is on his way back after being ambushed by Barricade and Frenzy. Sam and Mikaela are okay, and Bumblebee's injuries aren't severe, but you'll need the laser scalpel and a pair of tongs to pull out the bits of wood in his knees and joints." That said, she climbed up to her cot and began to change the sheets, wincing when she felt all the blood.

"How do you know that?" Ratchet asked, after receiving a transmission from Bumblebee, telling the green medic what his patient had just said.

Erin blinked up at him. "Mei told me when I was sleeping. She told me to tell you that, and that I needed to talk to Optimus about the Stunticons because she knows what they want." She tilted her head to the side and looked at Rewind. Gently, she picked him up and hugged him. "She says that he stayed up as long as he could 'cause he was worried about me,"

"I'll tell you right now how creepy that is, Erin." Ratchet said flatly, and his charge gave a sort of sad smile, but said nothing else. "But yes, he did wear himself out watching over you." he added as Erin cradled the recharging Bluetooth to her chest. "When is Bumblebee coming?" he asked after a moment of hesitation. "When will he get here, I mean?"

Erin tilted her head to the side as if thinking. "He'll be here in ten to fifteen minutes," she said at last. "He's speeding, but there aren't any police around," she added.

Ratchet nodded then turned to the new arrival who stood in the doorway of his domain. "Can I help you?" he asked acidly.

The newcomer ignored him, instead looking over at Erin who was sitting on the edge of her cot, holding Rewind gingerly. "Hello, Arcee," she said, not looking up from watching her friend. Slowly, she raised her head to look in her direction. "I'm sure you'll believe me. Mei said you likely would."

Surprised, Arcee turned to look at Ratchet who shrugged. "Hello, Erin. How are you feeling?"

Erin smiled brightly. "I'm fine for the moment, but I need to talk with Prime."

"He's in a meeting right now." Ratchet grumped and Erin nodded.

"He'll get out ten minutes after Bumblebee comes to the med-bay," she told him cheerily. "Then he'll hear from Bluestreak and Hot Rod about what happened, and he'll come by to check on Bumblebee, and thus I can talk with him without having to find my way."

'_What is she talking about?_' Arcee asked Ratchet over their internal comm. unit.

Ratchet flapped a hand at her. "Erin, who is Mei?"

Erin tilted her head to the side. "I don't know, really. I've asked her that before, but she's said some strange things."

"Is she here right now?"

Erin frowned and looked around. "There, in the corner of the berth." She said, pointing to her right. Ratchet and Arcee turned their heads to look in the indicated direction, to find empty air.

"There's no one there, Erin." Arcee said gently and Erin made a face.

"She says not many people can see her, but I don't know why _I_ can. After all, I'm blind. Hmm?" She turned her head and looked toward the area she said Mei was in. "She says that if you ask the right questions, you'll know."

"Know what?" Ratchet asked, getting exasperated.

Erin frowned. "I don't know. She says that you can ask a question whose answer only a few people know, and she'll answer it."

Ratchet thought. "What was the year that Iacon fell and what was I doing at the time?"

Erin turned her head toward the corner. "Mei says that Iacon fell two and a half…vorns?...after the end of the Golden Age and the start of the Great War. You were in Polyhex; your colleague wanted you to take a look at a special virus and so you left in time to miss the destruction of Iacon. Soon after, you met Optimus Prime and joined the Autobots when you decided that though you were a medic, you were needed to stop the endless genocide…" she trailed off uncertainly, looking up at the medic.

He slammed his hand down on the berth, gripping his laser scalpel so tightly that the metal creaked. "How does Mei know all these things?"

Erin blinked. "I don't know. She won't tell me. She says that when someone figures out who – no, _what_ she is – everything will be obvious."

-

"I'm sure it was just a dream, Erin," Optimus said placatingly, and Erin growled at him, bristling. Snowy, who sat next to her, fluffed up his fur and hissed at him. "According to the information on your internet, dreams can seem very real."

"It wasn't a dream. Ask a question." Ratchet told his leader who looked at him dubiously. "She answered a question that no one could have told her. I haven't told many people what I was doing when Iacon fell, and Erin answered it correctly."

Optimus sighed. "Okay, I'll bite. What was my job before the war, and what was my name?"

Erin turned her head toward the area she claimed Mei stood, tilting it slightly to the side as if curious. "Your name was Orion Pax, and your friend Dion and your girlfriend Ariel, later called Elita-One were working in an energon processing plant where you loaded and unloaded energy off a boat and into a warehouse. Originally, you weren't designed for war, but when Megatron nearly killed you, you were fixed up by an elder called Alpha Trion who later gave you the Autobot Matrix of Leadership."

Optimus stared at her as she turned her head in his direction, blinking up at him. "How do you know that?"

Erin frowned. "Mei told me."

"Who is this Mei?"

The girl's frown deepened. "I don't know. She comes now and then and tells me things. She says that the Stunticons will attack on Wednesday, and she was nice enough to show me everything they'll do." She said acidly, obviously getting irritated.

"What do you mean, show you?" Bumblebee asked from his place on the berth nearby.

Erin turned her face toward him. "She showed me what was going to happen when I was sleeping. That's why I was out so long. She was talking with me and showing me everything that they were going to do."

"Why would the Stunticons want to attack us? We've got more people than they do, and we're much better fortified. What would they accomplish from an attack?" Optimus asked Erin tilted her head to the side. All of a sudden, her eyes got misty and her dark brown eyes turned a sort of silvery-gray.

"They want the girl," she said in an odd sort of raspy voice. "That's what they want. They want her for what she can do."

"What do you mean?" Arcee asked, jumping up in surprise. "Which girl? Who?"

Silvery-gray eyes blinked. "Erin," she whispered in that odd raspy voice. "They want Erin because of what is inside her."

"What is inside her?" Ratchet asked, drawing the eerily silver eyes.

The girl's lips curled up slightly. "Me,"

"Stop speaking in riddles," Ratchet growled, and Erin laughed in that odd, raspy voice.

"You mortals are all so funny,"

"Are you Mei?" Arcee interrupted, and she laughed.

"Erin calls me that, yes. I have no name, nor any gender. I am merely…me."

"Are you real?"

Mei smiled. "Yes, I am real."

"Why can only Erin see you?" Optimus asked.

"Interesting choice of words, Optimus Prime. Erin actually sees me, oddly enough to you. She lives in a sea of black, and yet she can only see me, or rather the personification of me."

"Are you made of matter?" Ratchet asked.

"Yes and no."

"How can that be?"

Mei gave a secretive smile. "It just can," she said mildly. Her eyes fluttered shut and a moment later they opened, back to Erin's dark brown. "It hurts sometimes when she does that," she said almost idly, rubbing her eyes and blinking. "Will you believe me now?"

Arcee, Ratchet, Optimus, and Bumblebee exchanged glances then looked back at her. "Is there any more proof?" Optimus asked slowly and Erin frowned.

"Optimus, take two steps forward, Ratchet, five steps backwards, Arcee come next to the berth." She said bluntly.

After casting a quick glance at each other, they obeyed. A moment after they moved, the doors opened and Sideswipe and Sunstreaker tumbled in, a roaring Ironhide at their heels. Sideswipe tripped over his foot, falling in the path of his brother who tripped over him and tumbled into Ironhide's way. The big black mech tripped over both of them and tumbled to a stop at Optimus's feet. Had they not moved, all three of them would have bowled into Optimus, Ratchet, and Arcee.

"Now will you believe me?" she asked quietly, dark eyes sad. "Mei said it would be bad if the Stunticons got what they wanted."

"How bad?" Arcee asked warily, and Erin turned to look in her direction.

"Very, very bad." She said in a raspy voice. "Everything will die on Earth, life will cease, and the universe could – and likely would – be conquered by the Decepticons if they got what they wanted here."

"What can we do? Erin said she knows what's going to happen, and I'm guessing you do too, so where are they coming, when are they coming, and how can we prevent them from getting Erin?"

Mei smiled. "Listen, and Erin will tell you." The silver in Erin's eyes faded, and she blinked at them. "Are you ready? We have two days until the attack, and a ton of information from Mei. Shall we begin?"

* * *

**I'll try to get a chapter up every few days, but I can't promise anything; I have soccer practice after school and the only reason I was able to finish this chapter and post it before I went to bed was 'cause I had a day off today. .o.**

**So...g'night, and Happy Halloween. :)**


	16. Stunticons!  Attack!

**おひさしぶりですね？xD;;**

**D: Sorry for the lateness of it. It was a hecktic week. A _VERY_ hecktic week. :(**

* * *

Erin yelped and thrashed, earning an odd look from those in the meeting room. "Itai!" she roared, rubbing her watering eyes. "Damn it, Mei! Next time, warn me." 

Ratchet was next to her in an instant. "Are you okay?" Rewind scrambled on her shoulder to look into her face, yelping when he saw that they were silver.

Mei blinked at Rewind but stood and walked purposefully over to Erin's bag sitting nearby, pulling out a black case and opening it, dumping out on to the desk, permanent markers of all sorts of colors. "I showed Erin what's going to happen, but she can't explain too well without seeing the hallway, and we all know that's impossible." She picked up the black marker. "Black will be the hallways." With that, she began to draw purposefully and within seconds, a map of the entire base appeared on the metal desk. "We'll start off over here. Purple is Wildrider, yellow is Drag Strip, gray is Breakdown, red is Dead End, and blue is Motormaster." Near the perimeter on the back area of the base, Mei drew five large dots, one in each of the colors she indicated.

"I don't get it. You are in her body, are you not?" Ratchet asked, and Mei looked up impatiently at him.

"Yes, I am."

"Then how are you able to see? I mean, it seems to me that you are able to see, judging by the way you drew that blueprint and can accurately identify the colors you're using."

Mei frowned. "I can, and that is enough for me right now. It doesn't hurt Erin…" she trailed off, tilting her head to the side and giving a sort of fond smile. "Not usually, anyway." With that, she went back to drawing.

"I don't understand what's going on," Smokescreen admitted, drawing a glare from Mei.

"Do you want the long version or the short one?" she snapped, as angry and impatient as Ratchet had ever heard her.

"Short, if you please." Was his meek reply.

"Erin, the girl I'm currently in, was at Mission City where I was destroyed, and because she fell and was impaled on jagged metal my consciousness is currently inside her chest, embedded in the metal there. The Stunticons _really_ want Erin because with me, there are virtually no bounds to what she could do." Mei propped her fists on her hips and glaring at the mech. "Does that sum it up well enough for you, Smokescreen?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"So, you're in her?" Armonie asked, and Mei turned to meet her dark eyes, nostrils flaring.

"You're a part of each other, aren't you?" silver-gray and dark brown eyes turned to look at Katie who wasn't swayed by the unnerving glance of the almost-unnatural colorations. The silver-gray eyes softened and darkened slightly, and Katie nodded in response to the silent question. "When Erin gets mad, her nostrils flare slightly. Like that." She added when Mei turned and glared at Smokescreen.

Mei's eyes softened and she smiled. "We are. It is just as you said. Erin and I are part of each other. I suppose when this is all over, Ratchet and Optimus would like to separate us. I don't mind; this happens all the time. They'll put me back in some object and life'll go on as it had before, only an innocent girl will be blind for the rest of her life. She'll have to go back to school and her normal life, learning how to be blind without anyone to comfort her. Her only comfort will be her mother. Arcee will be called back; Rewind will find Blaster and his 'brothers' and leave her. Erin'll put on a brave face and tell them it's all right, but she'll be killing herself inside. She has a tendency to relive painful memories, and she'll be doing that a whole lot."

Katie frowned. "You're saying that like there's an 'if' factor."

Mei smiled thinly. "There is. If the decision isn't made yet, there's all sorts of things that can happen. Erin knows all the things that can happen; I've told her everything and anything she wanted to know."

"There's a way to separate you?" Mei turned and look at Ratchet. _'You know the answer.'_ Her gaze said plainly.

"Now, to business." Turning back to the desk, Mei got to work, drawing out the plans while the gathered Autobots watched.

-

In the musky gloom of twilight, the odd convoy drove silently toward the fenced off back area of the Autobot base. The convoy, led by a peculiar gray, blue, and purple semi truck slowed and stopped with a slight hiss of brakes and crunch of gravel.

"Remember the plan, and we'll have the stupid human," the leader growled.

"I don't see why we _all_ have to go after it. I mean, it's Dead End's fault it got to the Autobots," the yellow car whined. Immediately, the dark semi truck's wheels turned toward it, and growled.

"Regardless, we have to get it back," The yellow car shrank down on its wheels away from the wrath of the semi truck which could easily run it over. "Stick to the plan, and you won't end up as scrap."

"'Cause we all know Drag Strip can't fight to save his miserable little life," the purple car behind it jibed, nudging the other with its bumper.

"Shut up, Wildrider," Drag Strip muttered sullenly.

"Both of you shut it." the semi truck growled. "It's almost time. Be ready or else."

Twilight ended, and darkness edged down the walls of the cliffs nearby, then across the desert to engulf the compound the Autobots used as a base. The moon cast a pale light on everything beneath it, causing everything to have a faint silvery glow.

Casting his sensors upward, the dark semi watched the thick thunder clouds roll to block out the wan light of the moon. "Now." Quietly, he started his engine and drove forward, hearing a thick crunch as he ran over a scorpion.

As the cold, pouring rain came down, the Stunticons transformed and cut through the simple chain-link fence, moving quietly but without going out of their way to be silent. That done, they found the entrance; from the outside and inside it was merely a hangar, but in the centre of the floor was the elevator that took them downstairs to the entrance to the base itself.

Creeping down the hall, they paused at the main junction. "Take one hallway each. Deactivate anyone you see, but Prime is mine. Don't hurt the girl." Motormaster stood tall, passing blood red optics over his team who nodded. "Go."

-

From in the vents above them, cool green eyes with slit pupils watched them. Flicking an ear, the spy turned and hurried back silently, careful to not jostle the small video camera hanging from his shoulder.

"Snowy, go to Ratchet," the tinny voice over the one-way comm. on the cat's collar sounded just loud enough for the tabby to hear. Snowy turned left at the next junction, racing on silent paws toward the med-bay. "We'll need you for one of the later phases."

Flicking his ears, he raced onward.

-

Drag Strip edged down the hallway, gun out and ready. As he turned a corner down his designated hallway, he growled. Once more it was empty, without any trace of any Autobots. Or doors, for that matter.

The winding silver hallways – oddly straight, without any other hallways branching off – were broken only by the slabs of metal covering the walls, and the small vents high up on the wall near the ceiling.

Growling, he continued to walk, pausing as the hallway he was currently in widened considerably, enough so that he could drive in circles comfortably. He paused in the middle of the hallway, listening.

From behind and ahead of him came the heavy _thunk-thunk-thunk_ of a helicopter, though what Autobot would be stupid enough to _fly around_ in their base, Drag Strip didn't know. Whatever the case, he finally found his enemy, and he backed against the wall, hefting his gun and waiting for whichever helicopter appeared first.

To his left, a red and white rescue helicopter sped around the corner, followed by a big black GMC Topkick pickup truck, the sound of its engine and wheels on the metal hidden by the echoes of the helicopter. To his right, at the same moment the black truck sped around the corner, a rather large camouflage- painted army helicopter careened around the corner, nose down and tail in the air, blades whirring.

At first it appeared to Drag Strip that it was flying out of control, but then he realized, as its open side hatch came into view, that it was giving its human passenger a chance to fire the deadly-looking gun in its hands.

The first shot glanced off his chest, but the squishy adapted quickly, and holding down the trigger, it fired rapidly, clattering oddly colored pellets over his chest, then up to his optics.

Feeling the acute burning sensation, instinct kicked in and his gun dropped to the ground, raising his hands to his face, roaring in pain. He stumbled away from the wall, just in time to have the black Topkick swing around, knocking his legs from beneath him.

Drag Strip crumpled to the ground as both helicopters landed. Two of the Autobots transformed – one helicopter and the pickup, judging by the hum of the other heli's rotors and engine nearby – and knelt beside him.

Large hands clamped down on his wrists and yanked upwards, holding them above his head. The other mech bound his wrists with thick wires, and the squishy that shot him scrambled along his chestplate, pulling and tugging here and there.

He roared as his pain receptors flared then died down. The human twisted something in his chest, and he fell limp, going into a forced stasis lock before it occurred to him to comm. his other comrades about the Autobots that attacked him.

-

Armonie looked down at the bright yellow Decepticon and shuddered briefly, reminded of Swindle back in Italy. Pushing that memory behind her, she reached for the walkie-talkie at her belt as Blades and Hot Rod lifted the unconscious Decepticon and put him in the bed of Ironhde's alt. mode. "Army here. Drag Strip's out like a light."

The radio crackled_. "Good. Bring him to the med-bay and join Maggie and Bluestreak in hallway B, junction five from the comm. center."_ Mei's raspy voice replied.

"Roger dodger." Armonie hooked the device back to her belt and turned around as Blades and Hot Rod transformed back. "Let's get him to the med-bay then join Maggie and Bluestreak."

"Okie dokie then." Hot Rod said cheerfully, lifting off.

-

"See anything?" Wildrider asked, looking at Breakdown who walked beside him. Their hallways had come together and so together they walked down the wide hallway.

"If I saw anything, you would too." Breakdown grumbled and his fellow Stunticon rolled his optics.

"Whatever. Sing out if you do." Abruptly the hallway came to an end, a half-opened door catching their attention.

"Does that count?" Breakdown asked dryly, and Wildrider turned to glare at him.

"Let's check it out." He suggested, edging forward without waiting for a reply. A gentle push caused the door to slide open with a pneumatic hiss. Wildrider poked his head in and finding it empty, went in, feeling for the light switch.

He turned on the lights as Breakdown edged in after him. They jumped in surprise as the lights flashed blindingly and the door closed and locked with a hiss and click. The bright lights dimmed then died completely, leaving them in total darkness.

A square of dark blue light appeared in front of them, another and another popping up all over the place until all the walls and ceiling had that same, empty dark blue glare. The small square in front of them blinked then lit up, revealing the face of a young human female.

The girl grinned, baring straight white teeth in a predatory grin. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here." Slowly, the squares around the screen flicked on, glowing with the image of the girl. "Two Decepticons lurking around the base."

Breakdown looked around, finding that the woman was staring at him on all sides. Already he could feel himself tensing up, winding tighter than clockwork. Wildrider growled, casting a glare at his comrade as he did the Cybertronian equivalent of hyperventilating.

"One down, two in here, and two to go." The woman continued, ticking it off on her fingers, the predatory grin still in place. "Soon it will be three down and two to go."

"Your point?" Wildrider snapped, not caring if the woman could hear him or not.

"My point is that you two," she lifted her right hand, putting it in a fist but leaving her thumb was extended upward. "Are going down." She rotated her wrist so her thumb was pointing down. She opened her hand and fluttered her fingers at them. "Ta-ta." The screen blinked out then the image of them from the view of a security camera appeared.

The door hissed open and caught unawares, the two Decepticons whirled around to find two enormous silhouettes in the bright light that filtered into the room. Before they could dodge, the shadows had disappeared and as they moved away from the door, it closed and they were engulfed in darkness. Before their optics could adjust to the abrupt change in light, two quick shots fired, briefly lighting the room up in an icy blue glow that faded quickly, along with the crackle and hiss of shot and broken electronics.

-

Erin/Mei twitched slightly, drawing Ratchet and Rewind's worried stare. The radio crackled and with a tan finger, they flicked it on.

"_Breakdown and Wildrider have been taken out_." The calm voice of Mirage echoed in the quiet med-bay. Ironhide looked up from polishing his cannons, giving a sort of grin.

"Two to go." He said to no one in particular, casting an optic at the stasis-locked Drag Strip who was shackled roughly to the berth, faceplate and optics a horrible mess of acid-eaten wires and metal.

"What is their status?" Mei asked, flicking her gaze toward the large pickup truck then back at the radio. There was a pause as the damages were assessed.

"_Two kill shots."_ Was the answer.

"Nice shooting, Mirage," Erin said cheerily, causing Rewind to roll his optics. "Close and lock the doors and head back toward the practice arena. You'll have to get Optimus ready while Maggie, Katie, Snowy, and Jordan take care of Dead End." The raspy voice of Mei added.

"_Okay."_ Mirage closed the link and with Hound who had accompanied him in case he needed backup, they trotted off towards their leader.

-

"_It's up to you four to take care of Dead End before he and Motormaster meet up."_

"Acknowledged." Jordan said crisply into the walkie-talkie.

Katie rolled her eyes at the all-business tone her friend had adopted, sitting in Jazz's palm, her rifle resting across her lap. It had been a gift from her father, and with Armonie's help (it was scary how much the little Italian knew about guns) she was able to get it in working order again, ready to shoot the bullets drawn by Mei and modified by Ratchet and Wheeljack. For their plan to work, everything depended on their ability to keep Dead End from reaching the end of the hallway.

Mei had told them that there was a 98.5 percent chance that Dead End and Motormaster would decide to continue on together, so to prevent that lapse in definite knowledge, the three smallest shooters were to prevent the second-to-last Stunticon from reaching the 'area of hesitation' as Erin called it.

"Moment of truth, eh?" Maggie asked nervously, slapping her hands uncomfortably against the armored padding she wore.

Katie smiled sympathetically and swung her rifle to place a hand on her blond friend's shoulder. "You'll be fine; Bluestreak wouldn't let anything – or anyone hurt you."

"Oh, I trust Bluestreak; it's me I don't trust." Maggie said, looking at her guardian who had changed his alt. mode to a motorcycle for the occasion.

Jazz smiled down at them. "You'll be fine. Now, you three," he turned to look at Katie, Armonie, and Jordan. "Had better get ready."

"Give us a lift into the vents and we'll be off." Armonie said cheerfully.

"Be careful, you three." Prowl said, carefully lifting Jordan to the opening of the vent.

Jordan smiled back at him as Jazz and Hot Rod lifted Katie, Snowy, and Armonie. "We'll be fine, Prowl. Just be ready for backup."

"Will do." Hot Rod said with a mock salute. Katie smiled and blew a kiss at Jazz before disappearing into the vent once she checked to make sure everything was in place.

Maggie snorted. "Oh, you big babies. They'll be perfectly safe, and I don't know about you, but _I_ at least trust Mei's word."

"Me too." Bluestreak piped up, turning his front wheel to nudge Maggie's leg affectionately. "Are you ready, Maggie?"

Maggie sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be." She pulled her helmet on and mounted the blue motorcycle, hanging on as he zoomed off down the hallway.

-

Dead End was cautious. Not too cautious, but cautious enough to keep him alive for a while at least. He was aware enough of his surroundings that he felt confident enough to pause when he felt first one, then three numbing areas of his spark. Frowning, he continued on. If his brothers were stupid enough to get caught by the Autobots, then that was _their_ problem.

He paused once more when he heard the sound of a motorcycle racing down a hallway to his right. He tucked himself into the corner and waited for the cyclist – or Autobot – to shot itself. He didn't need to wait very long.

A dark blue motorcycle zoomed past and transforming, Dead End took chase. The cyclist looked over its shoulder – he could care less if it was male or female, for soon it would be dead – and seeing him, whirled back around and urged the cycle faster.

Dead End was closing fast, now about five lengths behind the cyclist who peeked over its shoulder once more. The cyclist shot around a corner and disappeared; Dead End followed, skidding and screeching, to find an empty hallway with a dead end. Growling threats and curses in Cybertronian, he transformed and stalked forward, intent on finding where the human had hidden.

Something hit him hard in the face and roaring he raised a hand to paw at his face and the sticky, gritty thing that clung to it. There was a storm of high-pitched cheeps and suddenly the air was full of tiny little birds that dove and pecked at the gritty thing on his face. He swatted at the birds in front of his face, dropping his gun in the process.

A high-pitched whistle echoed in the hallway and as suddenly as they appeared, the birds were gone. A splash of liquid hit him, and disappeared before he could pinpoint where it came from. The thick paste turned runny and spread downward to cover his chest and shoulders.

"Make ready!" came the bellowed order as the slimy gunk dripped down his hands as he tried to clear his optics enough to see who was shooting him. By the sounds, they were human females, and he didn't have his gun while they had three primitive Earth ones. "Aim!" came the same voice, and he heard the click of the safeties coming off. "Fire!"

_FSAP! FSAP!_

A tiny bullet hit his right shoulder and growling, he turned toward the directions the fire came from, groping blindly. The second came a second after he began reaching, turning him square in the left optic.

Though Cybertronian metal and alloys are stronger than Earth metals, there are certain types of bullets that can pierce even their armor, and places where even a regular bullet shot close enough could do some severe damage. These areas included the crevasses in the face and the gaps in the armor around their spark; the optics were particularly sensitive, lacking armor protecting them from shots.

"Katie, where did you get _that_?" a voice asked as Dead End roared in pain.

"I have my sources." Another said smugly, and the Decepticon heard a sort of growl before another shot hit him in the crevasse between two slabs of armor in his cheek. "One more, Army, if you please, then shoot what's in here at your holes."

The first voice spoke up again after a hiss of static. "Motormaster has found Optimus." It reported. "What about him, now?"

"Can we make a bonfire?" the second voice asked excitedly like a sparkling at an amusement park.

"I like that idea. After all, we have no use for him." A third voice commented with an odd sort of accent.

_FSAP!FSAP!FSAP!_

"Is that enough for you?" the third voice asked as three more shots were pulled off.

"That's fine." The second said cheerily. "Here."

There was a click of plastic on metal, and an incredulous snort. "A supersoaker? You're serious."

"Erin and Mei gave me the idea." There was a snort from the first voice, but it said nothing more, and as Dead End spun angrily, a plastic-on-plastic clicking sound seemed to materialize in the air just ahead of him, right before a stream of hot, burning liquid hit him in the face. Roaring in pain, the Decepticon clawed at his face, only serving to spread the burning liquid.

"What is it?" the second voice asked in amazement. "It's smoking!"

"Hydrochloric acid." The first said proudly. "Explosively corrosive with any type of metal. Now for the final touch."

The growling intensified and with a tiny click the growl transformed into a roar. Stumbling around in dazed pain, Dead End ran right into the line of bright gold and red flames that shot out majestically from the end of the flamethrower. The other stuff smeared all over the Decepticon caught fire. Soon the flames spread over his entire body, wreathing him in fire and seeping into the bullet holes in his face and chest.

"Bonfire enough for ya?" asked by the first voice, that was the last thing Dead End heard before falling into stasis.

-

Mei shook her head, surveying the blackened, burnt remains of Dead End. Erin's prior knowledge of cooking, baking, and animals allowed the spirit-like entity to identify the thick blackened substance coating most of the Decepticon's face as peanut butter, and the blackened lumps as birdseed. She hadn't given very many ideas for those who were to take place in the destruction of the Decepticons entering the base, but she had made sure that they had enough information to win each battle without any casualties on the Autobot's side.

'_I thought you said you were impartial.'_ Erin piped up from the corner she went to when Mei took over. _'Whoo! Vocab word! Take _that_, Kennedy!' _Mentally, Mei shook her head as the teen did a little mental-victory-dance.

'_You already knew that word before you had that on your vocabulary exam.'_ Mei said and if Erin had been in control of her body, she would have snorted and rolled her eyes. _'And yes, I am usually impartial. The only reason I'm partial now is because I'm not something they can destroy without killing something, namely you.'_

Erin was silent, but Mei could tell that she was mulling over the sincerely-meant words. _'Do you want to go back to what you were before?'_ she asked, and this time it was Mei's turn to think. _'I mean, if you want to, that's okay. I don't mind you staying, really. I'm just curious, is all.'_

Mei felt the mental barriers the teen was pulling up to keep her from looking at what she was really thinking, but as an entity as old as the universe itself, those flimsy barriers were nothing to her. Even without meaning to, she broke through without Erin's knowledge and saw what she was really thinking. _'My previous form was an inanimate cube,'_ she said at last. _'At least in this body, I can move around, even if it's you that's doing the moving. I can see and hear and taste and feel and smell all sorts of things that I couldn't when I was a cube, and now that I've experienced this, I'm not sure if I could bear to go back to being inanimate.'_ The icy stripes of fear that had been slowly wrapping around the girl's heart slowed their climb and melted away at those words.

Not many people knew, but Erin was afraid of being alone. Oh, sometimes she'd prefer to be alone, but on a deeper, more instinctive level, she was terrified to be alone for too long without something to keep her mind off her loneliness. Even the mere though of being alone prompted the fear and eventually it'd creep to clench her heart in a constricting grip like a snake strangling its prey or a creeper vine on a trellis.

'_Also, it wouldn't be fair to me to leave you alone after putting you through all this. Well, it would be, I suppose if you hated having me in you, but since that's not quite the case…'_ Mei shrugged physically as well as mentally. _'There are many things I can learn from being with you, and if need be, I can still do what I was able to do when I was in a cube from your body without any _detrimental_ side-effects.'_

Erin mentally rolled her eyes. _'Stop teasing me,'_ despite the mock-irritated tone she took on, Mei could feel the compassion and camaraderie she allowed to pour from her little mental corner. _'Thank you,'_ she added in a much quieter tone.

If she could, she would have slung an arm around the teen's wiry shoulders in a one-armed embrace, but she couldn't so she settled for a reply to the feelings sent her way by her host. _'You're needed,'_ Erin said with a chuckle, and coming out of her half-trance, Mei found that Ratchet was looking at her with a slightly worried look.

"I'm fine," she said in her unique voice that was beginning to lose its rasp and develop a sort of musical lilt as it continued to develop. "Is there something you needed?"

Ratchet merely shook his head. "I just wanted to know why you began swaying all of a sudden."

Mei gave a crooked smile. "I was just having a little chat with Erin." The muscles in her cheek twitched and she broke into a wide yawn.

Ratchet shoved a big finger into her face. "Sleep. Now."

'_That wouldn't be such a bad idea, now that he mentions it.'_ Erin added, some of her words garbled as she broke into a yawn with her physical body. _'I'm sure Optimus can handle Motorhead.'_

'_I suppose so,'_ Mei said doubtfully with a slight frown, ignoring Ratchet's rant about how humans needed nine to twelve hours of sleep every night, and oh sweet Primus Erin hasn't been getting enough sleep 'cause she was up for nearly three days working out plans for the attack and defense of the base. _'They wouldn't be able to separate us without at least one of us approving of it.'_ she added, steering their shared body toward the cot. "Optimus should be finished in a few minutes. Send Ironhide and the twins over to take care of Motormaster and bring Optimus back." Steely gray eyes fluttering, she fell back on the cot, allowing the tiredness of her host to overtake her and drag her into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

**. . . Random conversation. xD;;**

**Itai - hurt  
Kennedy - -.- my English honors teacher. D:**

**I'll try to get the next chapter up before next week, as I will be _very_ busy, but I can't really promise anything (as usual).**

**Anyway, hope you like. :)**


	17. Japanese Soaps

**Finally! I'm done:D Now I can get to work on the ProwlxJordan story that you people have been bugging me about. ;)**

* * *

Shifting from his seat on the berth, Optimus cast a wary glance at Mei/Erin and Rewind curled up on the human-sized cot, deep in recharge. Or so he had to assume. 

Ratchet looked up from welding the slice on his arm shut. "Don't worry; they're all asleep." He said quietly.

"Are you sure?" Optimus asked, looking back at them speculatively.

"As sure as I'll ever be." The medic replied. "Is something wrong?"

"You have spent more time with Mei, so tell me this: is she really the Allspark?"

Ratchet's hands remained steady, tugging on severed wires and replacing them if needed. "As far as I can tell, she is. I suppose that's why Erin can't go very far from a shard."

"It seems impossible, and yet here they are in front of us. A human and the Allspark sharing a body." Optimus shook his head. "What do you think our course of action should be?"

Ratchet paused to look at the two bodies on the berth, conscious that there was more to Erin than what he could see right now. "Let's talk to them when they wake up." He suggested. "Get more information before choosing on a course of action."

"Ratchet, if the Decepticons got the Allspark, do you think they could revive Megatron?"

Ratchet looked up at his patient who had his eyes on Erin. "If she wanted to, I suppose she could." He said at last, going back to repairing his leader's only injury. "However, I doubt she would. There. Done." He patted Optimus' shoulder gently. "Get some sleep, and I'll wake you up when they do."

With a grateful nod, the enormous Autobot lay back on the berth and slipped into recharge even before Ratchet reached his office.

-

'_Staring at the blank page before you  
__Open up the dirty window  
__Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find  
__Reaching for something in the distance  
__So close you can almost taste it  
__Release your innovations–'_

"Not in the mood,"

'_Every time I stop to watch the moon  
__Dance across the early evening sky  
__Every time I hear a country tune  
__I can see the shores of Waianae  
__Every time I listen to my heart telling me it longs  
__To go back home  
__And it makes me want to  
__Cause I miss you, my Hawaii–'_

"Too depressing,"

'"_。。。がレポートがかきます。"  
_"_プラウル、しょくばはしゃいげるって、かえってやひるごはんをたべる。。。いきましょう__!"  
_"_あなたへいきます。。。"  
_"_いいえ、_いっしょうに_ひるごはんをたべる。"  
__"__ジョーダン。。。"  
_"_いいえ！_しょくざに_！"  
_"_ね。とてもうつくし。"  
_"_けいかんがいいですね？"  
_"_いいえ。けいかんがとてもいいです。がいちばんのけいかん。"'_

Erin laughed. "That's so sweet it's sickening."

Mei, who also understood the Asian language playing over the improvised television laughed, a sound like wind-chimes in the girl's head. _'Perhaps it's time you found a mate, then.'_

Erin made an odd sound. "No! No, no no. _Never._ " Mei merely laughed again, but their argument had drawn the attention of Ratchet and had woken Optimus from his recharge, something they had been trying to avoid. Two pairs of optics turned to glow at them, and both fell silent, the entity turning off the improvised television without taking her eyes off the two Autobots.

"Uh…morning?" Erin said rather unconvincingly, sensing their stares.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to ask you and Mei a few questions," Erin swung her legs nervously, clenching her fists in her lap.

"Okay," Mei answered, taking over due to her host's nervousness.

"Are you the Allspark?" Optimus asked.

"Yes."

"Is it possible to separate you two?"

Mei/Erin paused and ran a hand through her long black bangs, sighing. "Technically, yes."

"Technically?" Ratchet echoed. "How?"

Mei hesitated. "Theoretically, you'd take out the shards of metal in Erin's chest, and we'd be two separate entities once more." She said at last.

"Are there any detrimental side-effects to you being in an organic body?"

Mei looked at the medic, silvery eyes cold. "To me or to Erin?" from her little corner, Erin was radiating indignation and trust.

"Any."

"No 'detrimental side-effects' to either of us." The Allspark said, echoing her host's indignation. "With a little work, Erin won't need to keep a shard of my former body (if you could even call it that) near her for her to function."

'_Tell them that I'm up for it even if they aren't.'_ Erin said, nudging Mei who obeyed.

"What I don't understand is how you know what is going to happen before it happens." Optimus said in confusion. "How are you able to do that?"

"How are you able to function? How am I able to give and take life away? When you can answer that, you'll have your answer." Was the flat reply from the entity in the blind teenage human. "Is that all you wanted to ask?"

"What will happen next?" Optimus wanted to know. "Will the Decepticons attack again?"

Mei smiled thinly. "From what I've heard from Jazz and Prowl and Jordan and Katie, they will undoubtedly attack again until they've all been destroyed. That you know, Optimus Prime. However, when I know their plans, I will be sure to tell you." That caught the massive Autobot off-guard. "I know I should be impartial, but I'm not perfect, no more than you are. Now I have another job: give life, take life, and protect Erin." Mei raised her hands and flexed them, watching the long fingers and strong hand close smoothly, then the muscles ripple in her forearm as she moved her arm around. "I have a larger range of motion now, and this time I can actually have a say in things. I can hear and smell and feel and taste and see, and I love that. I never knew what I was missing, and not only that, I'm not all alone. Erin talks with me all the time and in a way, we keep each other company. So yes. Protecting Erin is a high priority for me."

'_Can't we discuss this later? I wanna see what happens on that Japanese soap.'_ Erin said plaintively, and inwardly Mei chuckled.

'_I know, Erin. I doubt think the questioning will last very much longer, so I don't think you'll miss a whole lot.'_

"What about the remaining Stunticons? Drag Strip and Motormaster. What should we do about them?" Ratchet asked Optimus.

Mei coughed. "Drag Strip won't last very long, and neither will Motormaster. Their lifespans will be much shorter if you toss them in the same cell, too. Anyway, the acid Armonie had in her gun is slowly eating through the wires in his cortex and will kill him with agonizing slowness. If you want, I'll give him a mercy stroke."

The two Autobots traded glances. "Is there anything we can learn from them? Surviving Decepticons? Plans? Anything?" Ratchet asked, obviously not wanting to kill them in cold blood.

Mei shook her head. "Nothing. They were outcasts since they landed here."

Ratchet sighed and looked at Optimus. "Well? Orders?"

Mei snorted as if to say 'I don't take orders from _you_' but waited for what the Autobot Prime had to say. "What else could we do with them?"

"Nothing." Mei replied hollowly, already reaching mentally for their sparks.

The Prime covered his face with his massive hand. "Is there any other way?"

"It is a mercy stroke." Mei told him woodenly. "I don't like it any more than you do, but both of them will die long, agonizing deaths which will be made even worse by being in the presence of the Autobots." The sparks and the Matrix called to her and idly she answered back. There was a pause, and the med-bay became two bodies quieter. "Done."

It was silent for a long moment. '_Japanese soaps?_' Erin asked hopefully, brushing off the deaths in a way only she – or a total stranger – could.

And so a minute later, Mei obeyed and went back to watching Japanese soaps with her host, leaving the Autobots to deal with their own problems.

'_Everything will be hectic, won't it?'_ Erin asked abruptly. _'No one will like that you're in me, and the Decepticons will keep coming to try and get you once they figure out why I have a strange energy signature.'_

Mei hesitated, not wanting to scare the girl, but also not wanting to lie to her. _'That is certainly true,'_ she said at last. '_Everything will be crazy.'_

Erin snorted. _'More than usual?'_

The Allspark smiled. _'Definitely.'_

There was a long pause as they sat in comfortable silence, listening to the Japanese soap that was playing. _'Wait…are they cops?'_

'_Yes, I believe so.'_

'_You believe so? I thought you were the one who could see!'_

'_Fine, yes, they are cops.'_

'_And one of them is named Jordan?'_

'…_yes.'_

'_And her partner is named Prowl?'_

'…_That's just freaky.'_

'_But funny. Definitely funny.'_

--

**Songs used in order: **

"**Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield  
**"**I Miss You my Hawaii" by NaLeo Pilimehana**

**Why the Japanese? 'Cause I was bored in school. ;) **

**Translations:  
**"…**But I have to write a report."  
**"**Prowl, work is over and we can go home or eat lunch. Let's go!"  
**"_**You**_** can go."  
**"**No, we're going **_**together**_**."  
**"**Jordan…"  
**"**No, we're going **_**now**_**."  
**"**Fine. You're beautiful."  
****:) "You're a good cop, aren't you?"  
**"**No, I'm a very good cop." ;) "You're the best, though."**

**xD;; Hoorah for boredom. Now if you don't mind, I'll be off to school.**


End file.
